Daylily Haiku Thursday | Slick.


smooth, sliding surface,
the petals slick with the day-
finding their balance.

After this post, where I mentioned a "thick" daylily, I thought I would continue with other characteristics I notice and other vocabulary that daylily folks tend to throw around. This daylily, H. 'Ballyhoo' is exhibiting slick texture on its surface. You might say - "That daylily is slicking" if you were going to use it in a sentence and sound rather sassy.

Notice the area in the eyezone, where the petal surface seems to be wet, or shiny. That's slicking, and some daylilies do it more than others. As the day goes on, this particular bloom will probably "slick out" so bad that it is not attractive anymore.

From what I understand, "slicking" results from a degeneration of tissue structure and texture, due to environmental and genetic factors. For example, from exposure to hot, dry sun for a full 10 hours on a hot July day may cause it to "melt" or "slick out" as seen in this picture. Some dark or very saturated daylilies do this more than other light colored and heavier substanced examples, but that cannot be used as a generalization. (I have learned that with daylilies, whenever you believe you have an absolute, you can be assured you will soon be proven incorrect.)

It is not always a terrible trait; I still enjoyed this bloom of H. 'Ballyhoo.'  Although it was showing signs of slicking, the substance of the bloom was not affected- it still felt oddly fresh and sturdy when I touched it.

Daylilies are a journey that will never be complete.  Just when you think you have it figured out, a new window opens and new information floats in on the wind.  I love the discovery.

Off to Atlanta this weekend for the Region 5 Fall Fling.  I'm presenting a session on blogging - how fun!  Hope to see you there!
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