Introducing TET. DREAMWORLD

Good Morning Daylily Friends,

I am so pleased to introduce my new tetraploid conversion, TET. DREAMWORLD. DREAMWORLD is a diploid daylily that was introduced by Arthur Kroll back in 1994, and it is a cross between the following parents: (Someone Special x Barbara Mitchell). As a diploid, DREAMWORLD is 27" tall, with 3-way branching, and a 6 1/2" flower. Notably and importantly, DREAMWORLD is dormant. Also, it has 4-way branching. The first picture that I am showing is TET. DREAMWORLD growing nicely on November 3, 2009, about 6 weeks after it was treated with Colchicine. I was reasonably hopeful back on November 3, 2009, that I had successfully made the conversion because the foilage on the was so stiff. I must add that Diana and I went to the AHS National Convention back in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back in 2000. At the Convention we went to Arthur Kroll's garden, and what a treat this was. Arthur had such incredible daylilies, and all in very substantial numbers. Arthur was kind enough to send DREAMWORLD to me as a "gift." I have tried to get it converted at various times since about 2003.

Earlier this year, on April 24, 2010, I continued to be hopeful that I had DREAMWORLD converted, because, again, the foilage was so stiff. I even stopped to take a picture of the plant, and I'm showing the picture here. The stiffness of a plant, alone, does not mean that the daylily is converted. Indeed, it is only one indicator. I have had many plants where there was such stiffness, but there was no conversion. I knew that I would have to wait to see actual pollen before I would know if I had been successful.

Finally, on the morning of June 3, 2010, the treated DREAMWORLD bloomed. I was surprised and delighted at the "thickness" of the flower. I have seen DREAMWORLD bloom many times in the past, but this was a first, seeing such a thick plant with considerable substance. You can imagine my excitement. I had come so far from the point of ownership back in the year 2000, to the date of June 3, and now with a real chance to see whether I had a conversion. I took one "anther" from DREAMWORLD, and promptly walked to my barn where I keep my microscope. I quickly located a glass "micro slide," and I put a drop of water on the slide. I then took pollen from the anther, and put it into the drop of water on micro slide. Next, I put a cover glass over the water and the pollen. I then looked through the microscope to see if I had tetraploid pollen. I was so, so pleased to see those very large, size 15 pollen. I felt as though I had made a significant accomplishment. Diploid pollen usually measures about an 8 to 10 or 11 on my hundred power microscope lens. I had, indeed, accomplished the task: A full conversion.

Well, TET. DREAMWORLD is 27" tall, but I like even taller daylilies. So, I searched for the potential pod parent which was easy to locate. It turned out to be my Seedling 9-73, and this is the cross: (Cerise Masterpiece x Emerald Lace). I have it as being 37" tall, 5-way branching, 24 buds, and a six inch flower. I do not say that 9-73 is an introduction; only that it is tall, and that it should be a good pod parent for a conversion. I have already set a pod on 9-73 from TET. PINK RUFFLED LOVE, so I know that 9-73 is pod fertile. I will keep at this for a few days. I expect to be successful.

Bill