Doronenko / CC BY 2.5
Daylily
Hemerocallis
Overview
Despite the name, daylilies are not true lilies but incredibly resilient perennials whose individual flowers each last just one day — but a single plant can produce dozens of buds for weeks of continuous bloom. Nearly all parts are edible and have been eaten in Chinese cuisine for thousands of years. Be sure to eat only Hemerocallis species, as true lilies (Lilium) can be toxic.
Growing Conditions
How to Grow Daylily
Daylily (Hemerocallis) is a forb/herb that grows to about 3 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide.
To grow daylily, give it partial sun to partial shade. It is hardy across USDA hardiness zones 5a–9. Plant it in adaptable; performs best in fertile, well-drained soil, at a slightly acidic pH of 6–7. It does best with even, moderate watering.
In practice, plant out daylily April to May in moderate zones. Its orange flowers appear from June through August, offering high value to pollinators. It feeds two tables at once: yours and the pollinators’.
Companion Planting & Soil
Daylily grows well alongside hosta, iris, rudbeckia, and ornamental grass.
Good Companions
Planting Calendar
When to sow, transplant, and harvest by growing zone.
| Zone | Action | Months | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate (5-7) | Transplant | Apr — May | Plant in spring or fall; virtually indestructible |
| Moderate (5-7) | Divide | Mar — Apr | Divide every 3-5 years; replant divisions immediately |
Uses
In the Kitchen
In the kitchen, daylily turns up in more than one form: flower buds stir-fried or battered and fried (golden needles); open flowers stuffed with cheese or dip; young spring shoots eaten like asparagus.
Medicinal & Folk Use
In herbal and folk tradition, it has been valued in several ways: root traditionally used in Chinese medicine as a mild sedative; flowers contain compounds studied for antidepressant effects; rich in vitamins A and C. These are traditional uses, not medical advice.
Beyond the Garden
Daylily earns its keep past the plate, too: virtually indestructible ornamental perennial; erosion control on slopes and banks; over 80,000 registered cultivars for collectors.
Safety Notes
Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component. (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].)
