A few growers have complained of water-soaked tips to daylily leaves. We are all a bit concerned about the threat of daylily rust, but that disease starts as yellow flecks scattered on the leaves, followed by rust pustules. In addition, the specific requirements for daylily rust spores to germinate and infect are not known, but it is too early in the season for rust in Illinois. Even if the fungus were able to overwinter in Illinois, conditions have not yet been conducive for infection.

It is likely that the water-soaked tips of leaves are symptoms of frost injury or at least cold injury. Such environmental injury may affect all daylilies or a group of similarly exposed plants. Keep the plants watered in drought, and they should recover nicely. For details on daylily rust, refer to articles in the past 2 years of this newsletter.