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Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus - L.

Yellow Day Lily

Author	L.	Botanical references	50, 200
Family	Hemerocallidaceae	Genus	Hemerocallis
Synonyms	Hemerocallis flava - L.
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	Original habitat is obscure, possibly China. An occasional garden escape in Britain.
Habitat	Rocky mountain woods, wet meadows and riversides on foothills of the S.E. Alps in Europe[50].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m by 1m.

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; Root.

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked like asparagus or celery[85, 105, 183]. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K]. Flower buds - raw or cooked. They taste somewhat like green beans[85, 105]. They contain about 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A and 3.1% protein[205]. Flowers - raw or cooked[85, K]. They can be dried and used as a thickener in soups etc[183]. If the flowers are picked just as they start to wither they can be used as a condiment[85]. The flowers are a traditional food in China where they are steamed and then dried[266]. Root - cooked[85, 105]. They taste like a blend of sweet corn and salsify[183]. We have found them to be tender but fairly bland with a slight sweetness[K]. The swollen roots are quite small and are only really worthwhile using if the plant is being dug up for divisions or some other reason[K].

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; Cancer; Diuretic.

The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning[205]. The root also has a folk history of use in the treatment of cancer - extracts from the roots have shown antitumour activity[218]. 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 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 have a honeysuckle-like scent and this can pervade the air for a considerable distance when warmed by the summer sunshine.

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[1], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil and a sunny position[111] but tolerating partial shade[88, 111]. Plants flower less freely in a shady position though the flowers can last longer in such a position[205]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200]. Plants are very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[187]. A very vigorous plant, spreading by underground rhizomes[1]. The plant has a fibrous root system with occasional spindle-like swellings[205]. Cultivated as a food and medicinal plant in Japan[127]. Individual flowers are short-lived, they open at night and last for 20 - 76 hours. The plant produces a succession of blooms over a period of about 2 months[205]. The flowers are fragrant[205]. The flowers have a honeysuckle-like scent and this can pervade the air for a considerable distance when warmed by the summer sunshine[245]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200]. 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]).

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[88] RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.

[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.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[127] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 7. 1985 - 1986. Royal Horticultural Society 1985
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants..

[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.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[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.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

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.

Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus

Mary McKay Thu Feb 13 22:31:48 2003

I would so appreciate if you could tell me where I would be able to purchase the daylily. I live in North Texas. A catalog to order from would be wonderful. Thank you

Link: heritage daylily species Where to Purchase?????????

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