Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies.
Hemerocallis middendorfii esculenta
Day lilies are commonly grown garden plants, most garden
centres will stock at least a few of the many cultivars that
are available. These hardy perennials have large and attractive blooms
that are similar to lily flowers. They are very easy to grow, many of
the forms are tolerant of almost total neglect and will still be seen
thriving in a neglected garden long after most of the other cultivated
perennial species have been choked out by the invading native plants.
What most people do not realise is that day lilies are actually
cultivated as food crops in some countries, such as China and Japan.
All parts of the plants are edible though it is the flowers that are
most frequently used. Day lilies also have a number of other uses and,
all in all, deserve to become a standard plant in edible and ornamental
gardens.
The genus comprises about 20 species, most if not all of which can be
grown outdoors in Britain. The common name day lily was given to the
plants because, as well as resembling the true lily, the flowers of
most species are very short-lived and often die within a day of
opening. The plants do produce a succession of flowers, however, often
for a period of a month or more. As well as the species, there are
quite literally hundreds of named varieties available. These varieties
often have such a long history of hybridisation that it is no longer
possible to assign them to any species. So popular have they become
that they have largely replaced the true species in cultivation and
nowadays you normally have to go to a specialist supplier if you want
to obtain any of these original species.
Cultivation
Day lilies must be some of the most easily grown perennial garden
plants. They succeed in most soils, from fairly light and dry ones to
heavy clays, though they are happiest in a soil that is rich and moist.
They grow better and flower more freely when in a sunny position,
though they will also tolerate quite a bit of shade. Whilst less
flowers are produced on plants in the shade, each flower tends to be
longer-lived. Plants prefer a neutral to slightly acid soil and will be
unhappy in very acid or alkaline soils. Hardyness varies from species
to species, but there are plants that are suitable even for the coldest
of British gardens.
Generally free from pests and diseases, the main problem we have
encountered has been slugs and snails. These little beasts just adore
the fresh new growth in late winter and spring. Most species,
fortunately, are quite vigorous and will generally grow away from early
damage. Plants most at risk are those that are freshly divided, or
small young plants that have just been planted out.
Plants increase by forming new shoots from the roots. Most species and
cultivars are quite well behaved, forming quite tight clumps of growth
and not spreading too far, but some species are rather more active and
their running roots will send up new growths a yard or more away from
the main clump. The more vigorous of the clump forming species will
grow quite happily in short grass - you can mow the grass around them,
but do not mow the clump. Species with running roots will also succeed
in grass, though it is impossible not to cut out some of the new growth
when mowing.
Propagation
Propagation is exceedingly simple. Seed can be used but, because of the
possibilities of hybridisation, you need to either obtain the seed from
a known wild source or hand pollinate plants in the garden whilst using
some method of excluding pollinating insects from the flowers. Of
course, this is only important if you want to breed a species true to
type. The seed of cultivars will not usually breed true to type, the
seedlings displaying a mixture of characteristics from the parents of
the cultivar. Hybridisation has been widely used in order to produce
new ornamental cultivars and it does also present the opportunity to
start breeding for superior edibility.
Seed is best sown in early to mid spring in a greenhouse. Use a freely
draining compost and cover the seeds to twice their diameter.
Germination is usually good, taking place in about 3 weeks from sowing.
Prick out the seedlings into individual 3 inch pots in a fairly rich
compost as soon as they are large enough to handle and then grow them
on in the greenhouse for the rest of the growing season. It is often
possible to plant out these seedlings in late spring of the following
year but, if the plants still look small or you have a slug or snail
problem in your garden, then pot them into larger pots and grow them on
for another year before planting out in the late spring of the
following year.
Division is very easy, and this is the only way of ensuring that named
cultivars remain true. Most plants come into growth very early in the
year, some species will actually start growing in the previous autumn
and will already be an inch or two tall by January. I have found late
winter to early spring to be the best time for dividing the clumps,
though other growers will also do this in late summer once the plants
have finished flowering, or in the autumn once growth has died down.
For maximum increase, simply dig up a clump and break off individual
new shoots together with some root. These are probably best potted up
so that they can be easily protected from slugs until they are growing
away strongly, though you can also plant them out into the open garden.
If you do not need such a rapid increase, but want to obtain large
clumps quite quickly, then divide the plants into 2 - 4 pieces and
replant straight away into the garden. If the clump is so tight that it
is difficult to divide, then you can cut your way through with a sharp
knife or even chop the root with a garden spade. Another method is to
insert two forks back-to-back into the clump with the rear of their
prongs touching and the handles about 1 - 2ft apart. You then bring the
handles together and this levers the clump apart.
Plants can be a bit slow to settle down after division and it can be a
year or more before they really get going again, though they will soon
make up for the lost time. One way of dividing a clump without the need
to dig it up is to gently tease away young shoots from the outside of
the clump. You will normally have to excavate a small amount of soil to
make sure that you get some roots with the shoots. Pot them up and
then plant them out when well established, usually in mid summer. This
form of division is especially easy with those species that have
running roots
Uses
Moving on from how to grow them, let us look now at how to eat them.
The flowers are my favourite part, I like eating them raw when they are
fully open, though they can be eaten at any stage from green bud to
when they begin to wither. The flower buds are normally cooked, though
they can also be eaten raw. They have a taste somewhat like green
beans. If the flowers are harvested when fully open they make a superb
and very ornamental addition to the salad bowl. I like picking them and
munching on them as I wander around the garden. The petals are quite
thick, crisp and juicy with a delicate sweetness at their base due to
the nectar they contain. At this stage they are also at their most
nutritious, containing reasonable quantities of protein (mainly from
their pollen) and carbohydrates (from the nectar) as well as good
quantities of iron and vitamin A. In the Orient they usually harvest
the flowers just as they begin to wither. The flower are then dried and
used as a flavouring and thickener in soups etc.
The young shoots have a pleasant sweet flavour and make an excellent
cooked vegetable, though older shoots quickly become tough and fibrous.
The heart of the shoots is especially delicious. Depending on the
species, young shoots can be harvested from late winter and for much of
the spring. I have to add a few words of caution here. There is a
report that large quantities of the leaves are hallucinogenic.
Blanching the leaves is said to remove this hallucinatory component,
but the report does not make clear what it means by blanching, it could
be excluding light from the growing shoots or immersing them in boiling
water. As far as I know eating the cooked leaves is perfectly all
right, it is only the raw leaves that have the effect. You would also
need to eat quite a few pounds of the leaves to obtain the effect.
Many species also produce tuberous roots, or fibrous roots with
occasional spindle-like swellings. These roots are also edible - Ive
only eaten H. fulva but any of the other species are said to be
similar. The roots can be eaten raw or cooked and have a very pleasant
nutty flavour that is like a blend of sweetcorn and salsify. Young
tubers are the best, though the central portion of older roots can also
be used. Dont expect large crops of roots though, this will be just an
occasional bonus crop when you are dividing plants.
Hemerocallis also have a number of other uses. Many species make a very
good weed-excluding ground cover, succeeding under and around trees and
shrubs in low-maintenance gardens. Plant clump- forming species such as
H. dumortieri, H. lilioasphodelus and H. middendorfii about 18 inches
apart each way. Running species such as H. fulva can be planted up to 1
yard apart. Since the plants die down for the winter, the dead leaves
should be left on the ground to ensure effective cover.
Whilst young leaves are sweet and tender, the older leaves become very
fibrous. These tough fibrous leaves can be dried and plaited into a
cord then used for making footwear etc. The shoes are not going to be
that hard wearing, nor will they be waterproof, but they will make a
good sandal for the summer.
There are also a number of medicinal properties attributed to these
plants. In particular, the juice of the roots is an effective antidote
in cases of arsenic poisoning and the roots also have a folk history of
use in the treatment of cancer.
The species
Lets move on now to look at a few of the most interesting species in
the genus. We are growing all of the species listed below and they
should be hardy in most parts of the country.
Hemerocallis dumortieri is a vigorous clump-forming species
that grows about 1½ ft tall. Each flowering
stem carries up to eight trumpet-shaped flowers that are about three
inches long. This is one of the first species to come into flower, in
May and June, each flower living less than a day. It is also quite
early coming into new growth and makes a good ground cover.
Hemerocallis fulva. This species is one of the most interesting
for the gardener, as well as being perhaps the best one as an edible
crop. A running species, it grows about 3ft tall and will spread as far
as you let it. This species is so vigorous that it has been known to
grow through tarmac! It flowers from June to August. There are a number
of named forms, most if not all of which are sterile triploids and will
not produce seed. The pollen, however, is fertile and can be used to
fertilize other plants. Cultivated for its flowers in China and Japan,
these are usually harvested as they start to wither and then dried. I
prefer to eat them raw when they are fully open, they have very thick
petals and are deliciously crunchy - ideal for salads or a munch in the
garden. The roots have edible spindle-shaped swellings.
There are a number of named forms of special interest as food plants.
Their nomenclature is somewhat confusing so I am going to describe the
first three cultivars listed below under the names I was given when I
obtained them from the nursery. All of these first three have double
flowers, so you get a lot more petals for your flower!
Kwanso is a variegated form with white stripes along the length
of the leaves
Green Kwanso is very similar to the above, except
its leaves are not variegated. Its roots are somewhat larger than
average.
Flore Pleno is rather similar to Green Kwanso. The
flowers are about 6 inches long. This is the form that is most commonly
used in China for its flowers.
Europa is a very vigorous form that is especially good for
ground cover. I have been unable to obtain this form so far, if you
happen to know of a source then I would love to hear from you.
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus is a clumping species growing about
3ft tall. This is one of my favourite species and has lovely yellow
flowers. These look very attractive in a salad but a word of caution is
needed here. Most people find the taste delicious but about half of the
women who try it say that it leaves a very unpleasant aftertaste in the
mouth. On a couple of instances this has been likened to sweaty armpits
(who goes round eating sweaty armpits?). To date, no male has detected
this aftertaste. The plant has a long flowering season, from May to
July, and individual flowers live longer than in most species,
sometimes for three days. The plant has a fibrous root system with
occasional spindle-like edible swellings.
Hemerocallis middendorfii esculenta is a vigorous clumping plant
growing about 2ft tall. I only obtained this species recently and so
have not yet tried the flowers or young shoots, but it is cultivated in
the Orient for its edible flowers and so should be well worth growing.
The flowers, which are produced in June and July, are up to 4 inches
long with 5 - 6 blooms carried on each flowering stem. This species
does not have swollen roots.
Hemerocallis minor grows about 1½ft tall, flowering in May
and June. The flowers are about 2 inches long with, up to 5 being
carried on each flowering stem. They open in the evening and are
relatively long- lived, with individual blooms lasting up to 3 days.
This species has small bulbous swellings at the ends of its roots,
these have a mild radish-like flavour.
If you want a tasty food crop that is easily grown and also very
ornamental, then this genus must be worthy of consideration.
Database
The database has more details on these plants:
Hemerocallis dumortieri, Hemerocallis fulva, Hemerocallis fulva littorea, Hemerocallis fulva longituba, Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus, Hemerocallis minor.
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 citrina
Juerg
Plodeck
Tue Oct 26 22:36:18 1999 What I missed in
your article is that the H. citrina is the normally used
plant in China for eating its flowers. The flowers will be harvested
shortly before they open (they open in the evening and flower in the
night). The flowers of H. citrina smell a little bit a citron,
that is the reason why it got that name. I believe if you could taste
that flower you would be even more enthusiastic about that flower
than about all the others of the Hemerocallis species. Hemerocallis citrina
Tue Jun 27 01:46:20 2000 Hemerocallis are not hallucinogenic! That is a mistaken idea. But eating too many leaves may cause loose bowels.When I was the horticulturist for Daylily Discounters, our yearly garden tour would feature fresh buds dipped in batter and fried with a dip of tomatoe chutney.
Sincerely,
Douglas Glick
Horticulturist
Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies.
Willow MorningSky
Mon May 28 02:45:46 2001 In the opening of your *outstanding* article, you mention that the original, old fashioned day lilies are so rare that they often have to be special ordered. All through your descriptions of the different day lilies, I was searching to find which one is the original, hard-to-find one? I would like to be able to identify the old fashioned, original day lily by name! Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies.
Wed Jul 11 18:16:12 2001 H. dumortieri and middendorfill no mention of the colour - i think this may be the one i have already got but don t know Dumortieri mine is yellow what colour is the middendorfill thanksikno Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies.
Jo Wheeler
Fri Jul 18 17:04:46 2003
What a fantastic article about a group of flowers I just love. I only currently have about 5 different plants - can anybody tell me a web-site or where I might go in order to try and name them? Contact me at: jo3139@blueyonder.co.uk Thank You. Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies.
Tue Sep 14 15:42:43 2004
Pues a mi me parece un art?culo muy completo, muchas felicidades al autor y saludos.
Bye Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
PJ
Mon Apr 24 2006
Hi, what plants do you recommend planting near day lilies? I am looking for complementary plants. I have read elsewhere that Russian sage, Shasta Daisies and Poker Plant are good companions. Any other recommendations? Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Greg Martin
Sat May 27 2006
PJ, In the book "The Daylily, A Guide for Gardeners" it says that
yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a good companion plant for daylilies.
It attracts a predetory insect, the minute pirate bug,that eats thrips,
spider mites, aphids and insect eggs. Otherwise the book recommends
plants based on beauty rather than function. Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
charles huffman
Tue May 29 2007
Hi; Are these day lilies harmful to cats? I have just heard that lilies are and some day lilies are. thank you
Charles Huffman Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Carole Gomez
Sat Jun 16 2007 The flowers of my day lilies are attacked every year by an unseen pest (or perhaps disease?) Some flowers form, but when (if) they open the are mishapen. Many buds are mis-formed & never open and eventually fall off. I've watched carefully for insects, and have never seen any. Do you have any idea what could be causing this problem?
Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
sandra Gordon
Wed Jul 25 2007
Does anyone know if these daylilies are also called (affectionately or not by americans) "ditch lilies"? We have a lot of them and want to know if they are safe to eat. Thanks! SWG Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Mrs K Pethers
Mon Dec 3 2007 I Am a Teaching Assistant in a school and do gardening every week with the children. We were lucky enough to be donated some "special Hemerocallis which have been in now for at least 2 years down a semi shade border of the school hall. I have just split many of the clumps to sell at our school Xmas Fair and found the imformation given very usefull after trawling through the internet for basic advice. Thanks very much. Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Penny Warrington
Wed Mar 19 2008 In answer to query about mis-shapen buds.
The daylily escapes most pests and diseases,
but keep a look out for flower buds that become abnormally swollen
and fail to open. This is most likely to be caused by the hemerocallis
gall midge - a tiny insect whose grubs feed inside the unopened buds.
As the pests are well protected from sprays, the only remedy is to
pick off and destroy any buds that are affected.
Because the main egg-laying period is in late spring, late-flowering
varieties often escape damage. Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Penny Warrington
Wed Mar 19 2008 There are many places to buy day lilies in the UK, but I have found that Ebay
is a great source !! Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
The Constant Gardener
Tue May 13 2008 hopefully I can answer a few of these!
H. dumortieri - yellow/ H. middendorfii - orange
excellent website for sourcing daylilies & finding out more about them:
http://www.hostahem.org.uk/ (has list of suppliers)
other good companion plants for daylilies: hardy geraniums, daffodils, and for the late types crocosmia, purple fennel, red sunflowers
red day lilies: try H. Stafford (mahogany-coloured), 'Red Rum' (clear red) or if you want a species, H. nana
August flowering daylilies: H. 'Marion Vaughn' (though lots will carry on flowering through till late summer if treated well)
the unseen pest: almost certainly Hemerocallis gall midge. Only cure is to pick off buds as soon as you see them becoming swollen (i.e. not the usual long elegant lily-like shape).
ditch lilies: yes this probably refers to H. fulva which will spread by underground runners and is quite invasive, so considered a weed in some places!
- The Constant Gardener www.wellylady.blogspot.com Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Elizabeth Tsirigoti
Fri Jun 13 2008
Are fragrant day lilies equally edible? Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Sylvia
Sat Jun 28 2008 I have the same problem as Carole Gomez described:
The flowers of my day lilies are attacked every year by an unseen pest (or perhaps disease?) Some flowers form, but when (if) they open the are mishapen. Many buds are mis-formed & never open and eventually fall off. I've watched carefully for insects, and have never seen any. Do you have any idea what could be causing this problem?
I can also add that the plants are not short of water but the soil is rather heavy. not all of my plants have this problem.
Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Sherrie
Sun Jul 13 2008 Sandra: "ditch lily" is H. fulva. It's considered an invasive weed by the USDA.
Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Mary Ward
Thu Feb 5 2009 Are all day lilies edible? Even the 'ornamental' ones?
Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Valter
Sat Mar 7 2009
Valter Which Hemerocallis species is this one? Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies
Jere Syfert
Mon Jun 22 2009 Help....I am a daylily novice. First year in my garden. I have
noticed that many of the stems look as if something has snapped
the end off and left a clean edge. I have never found any buds or
blooms on the ground, just the "clean cut" where the bud or bloom might
have been. I have never seen an insect on or near the plants. What
could it be, and what should I do about it?
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