Daylily Hybridizer Retires
November 14, 2007 Dr. Darrel Apps, who bred the Woodside and Bridgeton series of daylilies has retired. Last month he sold his business in Bridgeton, N.J., and returned to his childhood home in Wild Rose, Wisc.
In excellent health, he plant to reqacquaint himself with his hometown and family and write from his life experiences.
Robert Blew, president of BlewLine Nursery, purchased Apps’ business.
"It’s been in the plan for some time now," Blew says. "While we’ve partnered with Darrel for a long time, in recent years we’ve hybridized along side of him. Employing Dr. Apps’ hemerocallis genetic stockpile and his priceless direction, we’re able to continue his work in a seamless mode. with the purchase of his massive inventory of seedling reserves, his name will carry much of the load throughout the next decade."
BlewLine Nursery and its sister company, Centerton Nursery, worked hand in hand with Apps for two decades. Together, they created the first daylily brand in the world, Trophytaker.
This also was the first program to use analytical data to single out hemerocallis cultivars bearing exceptional performance traits. Subsequently, Apps isolated and epxanded upon multiple repeat blooming genetics, giving rise to the Happy Ever Appster Daylily brand.
"Dr. Apps’ final focus has been to attach earliness genes to multiple repeat blooming characterisics," Blew says. "This most recent innovation sets the standard for all future daylilies—long-time bloomers that begin much earlier in the season. Garden centers get their largest, core audience during May and June, before most daylilies bloom. Adding extreme earliness to a long-blooming habit introduces core season gardeners to the color and value of hemerocallis."
This new early and long-blooming class of daylily from Apps’ breeding program will be recognized as the Earlybird series. It’s first introduction, ‘Earlybird Cardinal,’ will release in spring 2009. For more information, visit centertonnursery.com or blewline.com.
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