Daylilies

Daylilies, or Hemerocallis, are perennials and they produce an amazing assortment of color and sizes for anyone who plants them. The name Hemerocallis translates from the Greek language and means beauty for a day and from there we get daylily since each flower only lasts for 1 day. Hermerocallis differ from lilies as they not grow from true bulbs. The genus comprises of about 20 species and as well as the species there are literally hundreds of named varieties. There are now more than 45.00 varieties of daylilies exhibiting colors of orange, yellow, pink, purple, near white and many other combinations. More daylilies are being hybridized every year so the combinations of this plant will keep growing.

Daylilies are so versatile that they perform under almost all conditions except in heavy water logged soils. They are happiest in soil that is rich and moist. They will flower more profusely in a sunny area but they will tolerate quite a bit of shade. All parts of the daylily plants are edible though the flowers are most often used. Flower buds may be cooked and are said to taste something like green beans. The flower petals can be used in salads and are quite tasty. Daylilies bloom in the summertime. A typical scape/stem of flowers will bloom anywhere between 1 week and 1 ½ months. Daylilies are useful in the perennial flower border, for massing, and groundcover on slopes because they will form a dense mat in just a few years. In early spring remove the dead foliage before the plant begins to green up.