The daylily’s botanical name, Hemerocallis, comes from Greek hemera (“day”) and kallos (“beauty”). The name is appropriate, since each flower lasts only one day! 

 

Daylilies are not “true lilies" and grow from fleshy roots. True lilies grow from onion-like bulbs and are of the genus Lilium. In the case of daylilies, leaves grow from a crown and the flowers form on leafless stems called “scapes", which rise above the foliage. Each scape has 12-15 buds on it. A mature plant can have 4 to 6 scapes, giving the plant a long bloom period. They may be the most carefree of all flowering perennials. The plants grow quickly and are long lived. They thrive in almost any type of soil, will grow in sun or part shade, and are rarely troubled by insect pests or disease. Blooming starts in midsummer and continues into early fall, with new blooms opening each day. Individual flowers last only one day but since each plant produces many buds, the total blooming time of a well-established clump may be 30 to 40 days. Many varieties have more than one flowering period. Daylilies may bloom the year that they are planted, even from a relatively small plant. They will reach mature size in about three to four years. The best time to plant daylilies is during early fall or early spring when soil temperatures are moderate. Daylilies will tolerate planting during any time of year. Plant daylilies 18 to 24 inches apart. Set the plant so that the crown (the point where roots and foliage meet) is no deeper than 1 inch below the surface of the soil. Depending on their growth, your daylily clump may become crowded after four to five years and flowering can diminish. To rejuvenate the plant and the flowering, you may divide the clump. In most areas, late summer is the best time to divide daylilies. In the North, early spring is an alternate option, especially if the weather typically turns cold quickly in fall. Dig up individual clumps and put them on a tarp. Use a sharp knife or spade to separate healthy young plants (fans) with strong root systems. Cut back the foliage and replant immediately in compost-amended soil or plant in containers for holding. You'll have many extra plants from each clump to give away to friends and neighbors. Discard any small or diseased plants. Most daylilies benefit from being divided every three to five years, while others would rather not be bothered at all. The key to knowing when is to keep a watchful eye on the clump and determine whether or not it is performing as well as it once did. If you never divide them, the plants will not grow as vigorously, and you will see fewer and smaller flowers each year. Newer varieties of daylily grow more slowly. You can wait longer between divisions for these. 

 

Daylilies originated in Asia and are native to almost the entire Asian continent. By the 18th century, they made their way to Europe and quickly became popular with plant enthusiasts there. European immigrants brought daylily tubers with them to the New World and the flowers naturalized in their new home by the early 1800s.The six original species were either orange, as in the common wild daylily, or yellow. A hundred years after daylilies were brought to America, botanists (including the daylily-breeding pioneer from Wisconsin, Arlow Stout) were experimenting with developing hybrids from the wild varieties that had taken hold around homesteads, creating variations in color and form. The incredible adaptability and dependability of daylilies led to extensive breeding over hundreds of years. Today there are over 80,000 officially registered cultivars with the American Hemerocallis Society, with more being developed every year. Colors can be anything but blue or pure white, and there are hybridizers working hard to change that. Forms, height, and flower size, as well as season of bloom, vary greatly.

 

These popular plants also have medicinal importance. In China they are used as an anodyne for women in childbirth. An extract of the flowers is used as a blood purifier. The rhizome has shown antimicrobial activity, it is also tuberculostatic and has an action against the parasitic worms that cause filariasis. It is used in Korea to treat oppilation, jaundice, constipation and pneumonia. The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning. The root also has a folk history of use in the treatment of cancer as extracts from the roots have shown anti-tumor activity. A tea made from the boiled roots is used as a diuretic.

 

Did you know that daylilies are also edible? The leaves and young shoots can be eaten cooked. An asparagus or celery substitute. An excellent sweet tasting vegetable, though some caution is recommended. The leaves need to be eaten whilst still very young since they quickly become fibrous. Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component. Flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. The petals are thick and crunchy, making very pleasant eating raw, with a nice sweetness at the base because of the nectar. The flowers can also be dried and used as a thickener in soups etc. In this case, they are picked when somewhat withered and closed. A rich source of iron. Flower buds can be eaten raw or cooked and give a pea-like flavor. They can be dried and used as a relish. It is rich in vitamin A. Tubers can be eaten raw or cooked and have a nutty flavor. Young tubers are best, though the central portion of older tubers is also good.

 

The daylily flower has many symbolic meanings in different cultures. Some of the most common daylily symbolic meanings are:

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• Forgetting worries

• Forgetting the past

• Motherhood

• Wealth, success and power

• Energy and joy

• Passion and love

• Flirting and desire

• Royalty and elegance