Star-shaped and often two-coloured, the flowers wilt away each evening and are replaced by fresh blossoms the next day — hence the name lily of a single day. The daylily (Hemerocallis) fears neither cold nor drought, its petals are edible, and given a wide hole in sun or part shade it will hold its place for years.
Since it is hardy and requires no care at all, it is ideal for those who want an easy garden to care for.
Daylily fears neither cold nor drought and will adapt to any soil type with ease.It can stay in place for years. Its petals are edible and add color to summer mixed salads. To sum it up, it’s the perfect garden flower!
A handful of daylilies turn up again and again in garden centres and mainstream catalogues because they simply perform. The table below compares them on the points that matter when you are matching a plant to a spot.
| Variety | Height | Flower colour | Flower size | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Chicago Apache’ | About 70 cm (28 in) | Scarlet red, green throat | About 12 cm (5 in) | Hot-coloured schemes |
| ‘Little Grapette’ | About 30 cm (12 in) | Grape purple | About 5 cm (2 in) | Front of border, containers |
| ‘Happy Returns’ | About 45 cm (18 in) | Clear lemon yellow | About 8 cm (3 in) | Edging, long repeat display |
| ‘Joan Senior’ | About 60 cm (24 in) | Near-white, green throat | About 15 cm (6 in) | Pale and evening borders |
Daylily has long inspired horticulturists. Since Hemerocallis arrived in the Western hemisphere in the XIXth century (it is native to Asia and Central Europe), they’ve hybridized it incessantly to produce thousands of cultivars. As a result, today, a vast range of choices is available, from tiny plants that are ideal for ground cover to larger specimens that will form a backdrop at the back of your flower beds and under trees.
The star-shaped flowers, often two-colored, offer infinite combinations both in simple or double form. Also called “lily of a single day”, they wilt away every evening to free space for new blossoms every day.
With thousands of cultivars in circulation, the choice can be bewildering. The handful below are widely sold and cover the range from low edging plants to tall border specimens.
| Variety | Height | Flower colour | Flowering season |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Stella de Oro’ | About 30 cm (12 in) | Golden yellow | Long, repeat flowering through summer |
| ‘Hyperion’ | About 100 cm (40 in) | Fragrant canary yellow | Midsummer |
| ‘Pardon Me’ | About 45 cm (18 in) | Deep cranberry red, green throat | Mid to late summer, reblooms |
| ‘Catherine Woodbery’ | About 75 cm (30 in) | Pale orchid pink, green throat | Mid to late summer |
Growing daylily
Plant your daylily at the beginning of spring or in fall in a wide hole, either in full sun or part shade. Backfill with mature compost if the garden is poor, or with sand if it’s very loamy, and mulch.
Daylily pairs well with rose trees, it will garner their base with dense leafage. It can also add a touch of color under trees, or bejewel your flower beds. Keep a planting distance of 12 inches (30 cm) between specimens.
Once you’ve planted your daylily properly, nothing more is required of you: simply removing old wilted leaves in spring is enough. Daylily doesn’t have many enemies, only one little bug (pea midge) occasionally threatens the bloom by laying its eggs in the floral buds. If you notice that the floral buds look swollen, open them to check that they don’t harbor pea midge maggots. If so, remove all the infected buds. If ever it happens again, change species: select a daylily that blooms later in the season, that will reduce any chance of it being infected.
APEI-Actualités. Laure Hamann
