Introduction to Daylilies
Roadsides and old gardens are its terrain, as are hills and dales, and banks of streams and ponds. It can adapt to any climate, is happy with a good shower, is pest free, and can reward you with bountiful, colorful and even fragrant blossoms year after year with minimal effort. The selfless daylily is a perfect addition to a gardener's list of favorite blossoms.

Genus and History of the Daylily
The genus of the daylily is Hemerocallis, a Greek word meaning 'beautiful for a single day'. The daylily's blossom lasts for only a day. It is a native of the Orient and has been revered in 12th century Chinese art. According to Chinese tradition, daylilies are believed to cure sorrow by causing forgetfulness. In England, the daylily became popular in the 16th century while in North America, the first English colonists cultivated it all along the eastern sea board. Today, there are thousands of extraordinary hybrid cultivars for daylily gardeners to choose from.

Description of the Daylily
The daylily is a hardy, vigorous, long living perennial. It has grass-like leaves that arch to form an attractive mound of bright green. The leaves emerge from a crown and the flower-bearing stalks or scapes arise from the center of this crown. The scapes are around 1 to 6 feet in height and bear many blossoms. A daylily blossom has three petals and three sepals, and its size, based on diameter measurements of the flower, varies from 1 inch to 8 inches. During the season, each plant can bear more than 300 flowers. Daylilies bloom in many colors except pure white and true blue.

Popular Types of Daylilies
Common varieties of daylilies are the roadside lily (Hermerocallis fulva), the night-blooming, citrus-scented lily (Hermerocallis citrine), and the highly fragrant, early blossoming lemon lily (Hermerocallis.lilio asphodelus).

Daylily hybrid cultivars are legion and they can be classified into many groups:
¨ Based on their foliage, daylilies are either herbaceous (dormant), evergreens or semi-evergreen. In the dormant daylily type, the leaves die before winter sets in and every spring, new leaves emerge from a resting bud. Evergreen daylilies boast green foliage all year long. The semi-evergreens may or may not retain their foliage, depending on the climate zone they are in.
¨ Taking blooming time as an indicator, daylilies are either early, mid or late flowering types. There is the re-bloomer which gives blossoms over and over again in the summer. With good planning of blooming types and their staggered planting, a garden can enjoy daylilies all through the summer.
¨ Based on flower color patterns and their intensity, there are the self, blend, polychrome, bi-tone and the bi-color varieties.
¨ The height of daylily scapes, ranging from 6 inches to 3 feet is another consideration for classification.
¨ Flowers can be grouped based on their shapes. These include the spider, double, flat, star, ruffled, re-curved and the triangular categories.
¨ Finally, based on the number of chromosomes, there are the diploid, the tetraploid and the miniature types.

Growing Tips For Daylilies
Zones 3 to 9 in North America, from Minnesota to Florida are ideal for growing daylilies.

Soil for Growing Daylilies
The plant can adapt to any kind of soil, but the ideal type would be a well-tilled, well-draining, loamy and slightly acidic soil.

Light Requirements for Growing Daylilies

Daylilies grow well in good sunlight. Light shade during hot afternoons help make daylily blossoms look fresh.

Watering your Daylilies:
They thrive in moist and well-drained soil. During growth, additional watering is beneficial.

Fertilizer Daylilies:

Add fertilizer after testing the soil. A teaspoon or two of a dry fertilizer like 0-20-20 will enhance good and healthy growth of the plant.

Pests

Bud attack by thrips and aphids can be corrected with a good spraying of water or by using insecticidal soaps.

Weeding
Light mulching will help keep weeds and grasses at bay.

Planting Daylilies
First clear the site of dead leaves and weeds. Dig a hole 6 inches wide and 1 inch deep. Make a mound in its center and place the daylily crown on it allowing the roots of the plant to spread around. The hole must be wider than the extent of the root mass. The crown should be only an inch below the surface to help it grow quickly. Pat the soil around it and water the site well. Planting daylilies in groups of three plants is helpful during mass planting.

Propagation of Daylilies
Daylilies multiply quickly and need dividing once in three years. The ideal season to divide them is early spring or in the fall after flowering is over. Each division must have roots and two or three fans of leaves. Plant each such division immediately for the next season.

Day lilies are great landscape plants. They are good as borders, as background plants, or to screen decks and fences. These plants can be grown along with tulips and daffodils. When the latter lose their leaves, the foliage of the daylilies can still make the beds look lush and green. The daylily, from all angles, is indeed a dream come true in a garden. If we missed any of your daylilly or daylilies quesitons please feel free to ask.

If you like Daylilies....These pages might also interest you:

Allium Directory, Amaryllis Directory, Begonia Directory, Crocus Directory, Daffodils Directory, Dahlia Directory, Hyacinth Directory, Iris Directory, Lily Directory, Tulip Directory