Esperanza Gold (Ziarko-Rood, 1996) Tet. 5 1/4", EE, 27", Dor.
This flower was hybridized by the late Rudy Ziarko of the Rochester Daylily Club and was registered on his behalf by Tom and Kathy Rood. While this flower has an older form what makes it valuable is that it is the first non-species daylily to bloom in my garden in the spring. It consistently beats Stella to open by up to a week and it is a tetraploid. I have been crossing it with other extra early tets to improve its form and to extend the daylily season in the garden.