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Hemerocallis dumortieri - C.Morren.

Author	C.Morren.	Botanical references	58, 200
Family	Hemerocallidaceae	Genus	Hemerocallis
Synonyms
Known Hazards	Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component[205]. (This report does not make clear what it means by blanching, it could be excluding light from the growing shoots or immersing in boiling water[K].)
Range	E. Asia - Japan, Korea.
Habitat	Meadows in the mountains of N. and C. Japan[58, 187].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.45m by 0.6m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover; Meadow; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked[105, 177, 183]. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K]. Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked[105, 177, 205]. The flowers are crisp and juicy with a pleasant sweetness and no unpleasant after-taste[K]. They can be dried and used as a thickener in soups etc[183]. The flower buds contain about 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A and 3.1% protein[205]. Root - raw or cooked.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antidote; Diuretic.

The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning[205]. A tea made from the boiled roots is used as a diuretic[205].

Other Uses

Ground cover; Weaving.

The tough dried foliage is plaited into cord and used for making footwear[205]. Plants form a slowly spreading clump and are suitable for ground cover when spaced about 45cm apart each way[208]. The dead leaves should be left on the ground in the winter to ensure effective cover[208].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers are sweetly scented.

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[1], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeding in sun or shade, it produces more flowers in a sunny position though these flowers can be shorter-lived in very sunny positions[205]. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200]. This species is hardy to about -20°c[187]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200]. Individual flowers only live for one day[205]. The flowers are sweetly scented[245]. Plants form a tight clump that spreads slowly[K]. The roots are cylindrical[205]. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[200]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233]. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow in the middle of spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid and good. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[K]. Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[200]. Division is very quick and easy, succeeding at almost any time of the year[K]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies..

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[205] Erhardt. W. Hemerocallis. Day Lilies. Batsford. 1992 ISBN 0-7134-7065-8
A comprehensive book on the species with a short section on their uses.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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