Yes, each flower really only lasts ONE DAY. The word Hemerocallis is derived from two Greek words meaning “beauty” and “day.” The flowering period of an established clump is usually several weeks long. Many cultivars have more than one flowering period! Although not required, many gardeners prefer to “deadhead” spent blooms each day so the plantings look clean and new blooms are able to open unobstructed.
Since the early 1930s, hybridizers throughout the world have made great improvements in daylilies. Originally, the only colors were yellow, orange, and rusty red. Today, we have colors ranging from near-whites, pastels, yellows, oranges, pinks, vivid reds, green, deep crimson, purple, neon pink, nearly true-blue, and many fabulous blends and eye-popping multi-colored patterns.
Why Grow Daylilies?
Diversity in Size, Color & Form
Daylilies offer a wide range of bloom sizes, scape height and bloom time. By carefully selecting plants, daylilies will show off in the garden from early May to late October, depending on zone. Some blooms can reach 15” across, while some daylilies grow to be over 60” tall. A trio of daylilies in various sizes and shapes planted together in a mixed bed provides a firework of color throughout the season, while maintaining a good foliage structure.
Daylilies offer a wide range of bloom sizes, scape height and bloom time. By carefully selecting plants, daylilies will show off in the garden from early May to late October, depending on zone. Some blooms can reach 15” across, while some daylilies grow to be over 60” tall. A trio of daylilies in various sizes and shapes planted together in a mixed bed provides a firework of color throughout the season, while maintaining a good foliage structure.
The outer portion of the daylily flower is considered to be the basic color of the flower. The present daylily color range includes:
Yellow – all shades from the palest lemon, through bright yellow and gold, to orange.
Red – diverse shades of scarlet, carmine, tomato-red, maroon, wine-reds, and blackish-reds.
Pink – from pale pink through rose-pink to rose-red.
Purple – from pale lavender and lilac to deep grape or violet.
Melon or Cream-Pink – from palest cream shades to deep cantaloupe shades.
Notes: Buff, Brown, Apricot, and Peach are thought to be variations of pink plus yellow. Near-whites are found among the palest tints of yellow, pink, lavender, or melon.
Throat Color
The center area of the daylily flower is called the throat. In most daylilies, the throat color differs from the rest of the flower. Usually it is a shade of green, yellow, gold, orange, apricot, or melon.
Stamen Color
Like the throat, the stamens may be a different color from the basic flower color and the throat color. Or, the stamens may be of matching color. Usually they are light yellow to greenish. The anthers at the tips of the stamens are often darker in color – sometimes black.
Daylily blooms have a wide array of different forms or shapes. Currently, the AHS officially recognizes the following forms for exhibition purposes: single, double, spider, unusual form, polymerous, and sculpted flowers:
Single
Daylily flowers that have three petals, three sepals, six stamens and one pistil.
Double
Double daylilies come in several different forms. ‘Hose-in-Hose’ doubles have extra whorls (layers) of petals so that there appears to be a flower within a flower. ‘Peony type’ doubles have petaloid (petal-like) tissue on the stamens inside the normal petal whorl.
Spider
A flower whose petals have a length-to-width ratio of at least 4 to 1 (i.e., 4:1). Length is measured with the segment fully extended. Width measurement is taken as the flower grows naturally.
Unusual Form
A class of daylilies based exclusively on the shapes of the petals or sepals. These shapes include Crispate (pinched, twisted, or quilled), Cascade, and Spatulate. One or more of these shapes must be displayed on at least 3 petals or 3 sepals.
Polymerous
Polymerous is an adjective used to designate a daylily with more than the normal number of segments in each floral whorl, i.e., more than the normal three sepals (usually four or five) in the outer whorl and more than three petals (usually the same number as sepals) in the inner whorl.
Sculpted
A term used to describe three-dimensional structural features involving or emanating from the throat, midrib or elsewhere on the petal surfaces. Sculpted forms belong to one of three different groups: Pleated, Cristate (formerly Crested) and Relief.
Multiform
This term is used where the daylily in question has been registered correctly as exhibiting 2 or more of the forms spider, unusual form, polymerous, or double. Examples of a multiform daylily would be one that is both a spider and an unusual form, or a polymerous double.
Other descriptive terms of daylily form or shape characteristics are:
Circular
When viewed from the front of a bloom, the flower appears round. Segments tend to be short, wide and stubby, and generally overlap, giving a full appearance. See also: Recurved
Flat
When viewed from the side of a bloom, flowers are perfectly flat except for the concave throat.
Informal
When viewed from front of bloom, flower segments have no definable shape. Segment placement may be irregular, widely spaced or floppy.
Recurved
When viewed from the side of a bloom, flower segments flare, but the ends of some segments roll back or tuck under. When the sepals are all recurved, and the petals are not, the result is a triangular form, when both sepals and petals recurve, the result is often the round form.
Star
When viewed from front of bloom, flower segments tend to be long and pointed. There is space between the segments, and the shape looks like a three-pointed or six pointed star.
Trumpet
When viewed from side of bloom, flower form resembles a true lily. Segments rise from throat in an upward pattern with little flare.
When you receive your new daylilies, use the following technique for planting them.
All Plants Are Received
New daylily plants received bare-root by mail may be “parked” in damp sand or other suitable media until they can be planted. Many daylily enthusiasts like to soak the roots for a few hours or overnight in a bucket of water, however others do not agree with this practice. Some gardeners also include a weak fertilizer in the soaking water, but this isn’t necessary and, if too strong a solution, may actually be detrimental.
Before Planting
Make sure that your daylilies are clean and healthy before planting them.
Prepare the Soil
The soil where you intend to plant your daylilies should be worked into a good loose condition to a depth of at least 1 foot.
Dig a hole larger than the root mass.
Make a mound in the center of the hole.
Set the plant in place with the roots spread on all sides of the mound.
New plants should be planted about as deep as they grew originally. The original depth can be determined easily by the band of white at the base of the foliage which indicates the part of the plant which was underground.
Do not set the crown (i.e., the point where foliage and roots join) more than 1 inch below the surface of the soil.
Work the soil around and between the roots as you cover the plant.
Firm the soil and water well.
Make sure that there are no air pockets; this can cause the plant to grow poorly.
When all the water has soaked in, finish filling in the soil, leaving a slight depression around the plant.
Spacing
Daylilies should be spaced no less than 18 to 24 inches apart on each side.
Labeling
Label each of your daylilies with some type of permanent marker so as to identify them. A plant loses much of its value when its identification is lost.
ou need to consider four things in determining where to plant your daylilies:
Sun or Shade
Most daylilies do best in full sun. They will tolerate part-shade conditions, but require a minimum of six hours of direct sun per day.
Light yellow cultivars, many shades of pink, and delicate pastels need full sun to bring out their lovely colorings.
Many red and purple cultivars benefit from partial shade in the hottest part of the day because dark colors absorb heat and do not withstand the sun as well as lighter colors.
Type of Soil
Like most plants, daylilies show maximum performance in soils with good aeration, fertility and microbial activity. The ideal soil holds sufficient moisture to sustain the plants, yet is at the same time well-drained. These characteristics can be improved in soils that have too much sand or clay by amending with compost.
Drainage
For maximum performance, daylilies should be planted in well-drained soil. In some regions raised beds may be beneficial where drainage is a problem. However raised beds should be approached with caution in cold winter regions as being elevated can make the plants more vulnerable to temperature extremes and fluctuations. Note also that raised beds generally require more irrigation during the summer.
Compatibility with Other Plants
Daylilies may not do well near or under trees that compete for moisture and nutrients. They are often reported to do well under pine trees, however, and each situation should be assessed individually. Plants that must compete with tree roots often do better if supplied with extra waterings.
North
In the North, spring planting is normally preferred. Fall planting in colder climates can prove fatal for daylilies because they often do not have adequate time to form new roots and to begin to anchor themselves before winter comes. Experienced gardeners, however, can plant in the fall provided they:
Know the hardiness of the plants
Take some preventative measures such as mulching.
Learn the time of the year after which it is not safe to plant in their location
The genus Hemerocallis is native to Asia. Since the early 1930s, hybridizers in the United States and England have made great improvements in daylilies. Originally, the only colors were yellow, orange, and fulvous red. Today, we have colors ranging from near-whites, pastels, yellows, oranges, pinks, vivid reds, crimson, purple, nearly true-blue, and fabulous blends. Many people are familiar with only the common yellow or orange daylilies which are often seen along roadsides. These daylilies are cultivated forms of the wild types of daylilies which have “escaped” and are growing as if they are wild. All the modern daylilies have been developed through a complicated history of hybridization among these and other wild types.
Connecticut Daylily Society 