Hemerocallis 'Prelude to Love'
Best low-maintenance perennial for gardeners seeking vibrant, long-lasting summer color.
Hemerocallis 'Prelude to Love' is a striking deciduous perennial offering early to midsummer interest with its showy, dark velvety black-red flowers. This reblooming variety produces 4-inch, trumpet-shaped blooms with a pale yellow-green throat, ensuring weeks of color due to successive bud opening. Its deep green, grass-like foliage adds texture to the garden even when not in bloom. Adaptable to various soil types and low maintenance, this cold-hardy daylily thrives in full sun to part shade and is resistant to rabbits and slugs, making it a resilient addition to any garden.
$16.95
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
854
/ 2769
#854 in Flowers
Price vs Category Average
-58%
Below average
SKU
28923
Who it's for
- Landscapers seeking high-impact, dramatic focal points
- Busy gardeners wanting low-maintenance, resilient perennials
- Flower lovers desiring continuous color throughout the summer
Who should skip it
- Beginners who prefer plants requiring zero pest monitoring
- Low-maintenance gardeners who dislike daily garden chores
- Gardeners in regions with intense, scorching afternoon sun
Performance breakdown
Bloom Impact
Velvety black-red petals create a dramatic focal point in any landscape.
Maintenance Ease
Low-effort perennial that thrives with minimal intervention once established.
Pollinator Appeal
Reliably draws butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to your garden space.
Resilience
Drought-tolerant and naturally resistant to common garden pests like slugs.
Bloom Duration
Successive bud opening ensures weeks of consistent color throughout summer.
Versatility
Compact mounding habit works perfectly in containers or mass garden plantings.
Key Specs
SKU
28923
Genus
Hemerocallis
Species
hybrid
Variety
'Prelude to Love'
Item Form
Bareroot
Bloom Color
Dark Red
Foliage Color
Dark Green
Habit
Mound-shaped
Features
- Showy, dark velvety black-red flowers
- Long bloom period with successive buds
- Attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds
- Attractive grass-like foliage
- Suitable for specimen, container, or mass planting
- Cold hardy and easy to grow
- Rabbit and slug resistant
- Drought tolerant
What customers say
Consumers consistently celebrate the 'Prelude to Love' daylily for its exceptional garden reliability and stunning aesthetic design. Reviewers frequently note the plant's robust vigor, confirming it establishes quickly and returns reliably year after year. The large, vibrant blooms are the centerpiece, often exceeding expectations in color saturation and form. While initial size upon delivery occasionally sparks minor discussion, the overwhelming consensus confirms that the plant delivers significant long term value and performance, making it a highly recommended addition for gardeners seeking dependable beauty.
Know before you buy
This variety is a rebloomer that produces successive buds throughout early to midsummer. Because the buds open in sequence rather than all at once, you will enjoy weeks of color rather than a single short burst.
No, Hemerocallis 'Prelude to Love' is not considered pet-safe. It is toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, so it is best to plant it in areas inaccessible to your pets.
It is a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant perennial. Once established, it requires only moderate watering and is naturally resistant to common garden pests like rabbits and slugs.
Yes, its mounding habit and compact 16-inch height make it an excellent candidate for containers. Ensure your pot has good drainage and is large enough to accommodate its root system.
Absolutely. The trumpet-shaped blooms are highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, making it a great choice for a pollinator-friendly garden.
This daylily is quite adaptable and performs well in both full sun and partial shade. For the best bloom production, aim for a spot that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily.
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$17