Destinations

Fleeting Beauty
Daylillies explode in color at
Sarcoxie's Gilbert H. Wild

by Bob McEowen

The bloom of a daylily usually opens to full glory for just one day. But the continual burst of color from successive blooms makes late June and early July an especially spectacular time in a garden adorned with Hemerocallis, the botanical name for daylilies which literally translates “beauty” and “day.”

Not only is Gilbert H. Wild and Son of Sarcoxie the largest grower of daylilies, iris and peonies in America but it also maintains the nation’s largest daylily show garden with more than 2,800 daylilies growing within 3 acres.

Each year Wild sells more than a million daylilies — like the “Stately Queen” variety on our cover — through its mail order catalog, Web site or in person at the garden. Orders are shipped to all 50 states and 40 countries.

While customers can’t pick up orders in person they can select the variety they like and place an order for mail delivery.

In addition to the show garden, visitors are welcome to roam the company’s 360 acres of flower fields.

This year’s daylily bloom is expected to peak between June 10 and July 15.

Gilbert H. Wild’s show garden is located in southwest Missouri on Highway 37, 1 mile north of Interstate 44 exit 26.

For more information call (417) 548-3514 or visit Wild on the Internet at www.gilbertwild.com.