Five years ago, I started growing and writing about Rainbow Rhythm daylilies from my landscape perspective in Muscogee County, Georgia. That first year I reached out to Jenny Simpson, who along with husband Jerry, owns Creekside Nursery in Dallas, North Carolina. At the time I told everyone to follow them on Facebook, and that recommendation is even stronger today.

At the time Jenny told me Rainbow Rhythm Primal Scream was her favorite. I first thought it was like the wild Hemerocallis fulva you see at the roadside and is often called Ditch Lily. I can tell from Facebook posts many of you have made that same mistake. You may not know that Primal Scream has won the Stout Award, the highest honor given to a daylily. It is a must-have plant. The delay caused by The Garden Guy’s thinking cost me years of enjoyment as I waited until spring 2025 to plant. This year I planted 6, and with the first bloom, I have been doing the happy dance.

Rainbow Rhythm Primal Scream is a tall and large daylily and will surely command "look at me," you will indeed "scream" with glee. I am doing that now as I look out my sunroom window.

The flowers are large, narrow, somewhat ruffled with a twist. The scape will reach 34 inches tall with a 24-inch plant spread. So, these are better suited to the middle or back of the border. Fertile, well-drained with plenty of sun will have you entering daylily competition.

Rainbow Rhythm Primal Scream is so pretty, a draft of several plants will take your breath away, a scape with two or three flowers will bring out the camera, and a single flower is like a rare gift. Remember this, sure a daylily bloom only lasts a day but the plants have multiple scapes, and each has several buds keeping you in extended bloom production.

A few years ago, while visiting our State Botanical Garden in Athens, Georgia, I fell in love with a bed that had a mix of favorite perennials including daylilies. So, I wanted to create something similar. I picked plants with blue and lavender like Meteor Shower verbena, Rockin salvia, and then I added a Luscious Basket Tangeglo lantana. Primal Scream’s color is called tangerine and the lantana turned out to be just perfect.

In another area I planted some in front of Rockin Deep Purple, Blue Suede Shoes and Fuchsia salvias, which will eventually work, but a nearby and unplanned Let’s Dance Sky View hydrangea created a wow partnership.

There are 16 Rainbow Rhythm daylily selections to choose from. All of them would have you competing for honors in your local daylily society. Daylilies are categorized as early, mid and late season so you will want to choose some of each to give you the longest period of blooms. I have had some like Rainbow Rhythm Blazing Glory blooming even in September.

Many don’t consider the attraction daylilies have for pollinators like bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. The large Eastern Tiger Swallowtails seem to have an appreciation for daylilies. There is nothing quite like seeing this large butterfly going in for a drink.

If you have read or watched The Garden Guy’s photos or columns over the years, you know I have a love for flowers that are orange. I promise I will be growing and dividing Rainbow Rhythm Primal Scream daylily and giving it a major role in the garden. Don’t procrastinate like I did!

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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