The All-American Daylily Selection Council exists primarily to help horticulturists by evaluating daylily performance.

"Using some 50 criteria, we isolate those daylilies that are beautiful, offer superior, well-balanced performances, and are truly worth of widespread distribution," said executive director Angelo Cerchione.

The council has 17 established test sites in 12 states, and expects to have 20 sites by the end of 1993.

AADSC conducts a three-tiered research program. At Tier 1, daylilies are evaluated in more than 50 locations that command collections of up to 4,000 named cultivars.

The information gathered is loaded into a computer, and those daylilies that are consistently rated high are bought and promoted to Tier 2. Only about 5 percent survive this first step up.

If a cultivar survives the second round, it is moved out to the council's test sites for two years of testing in Tier 3. Only 1 or 2 percent reach Tier 3.

Then, if test results warrant it, the council announces All-America, Regional Top performer, and Local Area award winners from those in Tier 3.

Cerchione said the council's approach and criteria were selected "to be of greatest value to . . . growers, who need high-yield, trouble-free performers and retailers, who want beautiful cultivars that self-advertise themselves."