PLANT, GROW, AND CARE FOR DAYLILY FLOWERS

Daylilies are amazingly low-maintenance (almost no maintenance) perennial—easy to grow, virtually disease- and pest-free, and able to survive drought, uneven sunlight, and poor soil. and bloom faithfully for years.

+Plus, there are thousands of beautiful daylilies to choose from.  

The daylily's botanical name, Hemerocallis, means "beauty for a day", and indeed most daylily flowers open in the morning and die by nightfall. 

However, each flower stem (also called a scape) typically has up to a dozen flower buds, so the plant stays in bloom for several weeks.

There are many different species of daylilies, including: 

• Stella de Oro’ has numerous yellow flowers per scape and blooms all summer.
•  Roadside lily The most common pale orange (Hemerocallis fulva
• ‘‘Little Grapette’ has small purple flowers and blooms early summer. This daylily is only 12 inches tall.
• ‘So Sweet’ has yellow flowers. Its leaves remain green over winter.
• Ruby Spider’ has  large, up to 9-inches wide, scarlet-red flowers with golden throats.
• ‘Catherine  Woodbury’ blooms in mid- to late-summer with fragrant lavender-pink flowers.
• ‘Indian Giver’ has large rich-purple flowers and blooms early to late summer. It’s semi-evergreen.
• ‘Siloam Double Classic’ has fragrant,  salmon-pink, double blossoms in early to mid-summer. It’s ideal for containers. 

Reblooming daylilies have the ability to rebloom during the  season:

• ‘Good Fairy’, ‘Mini Stella’,      ‘Happy Returns’

Evergreen daylilies have leaves that remain green over winter:

• ‘Wind Frills’, ‘So Sweet’,      ‘Joan Senior’

Looking for a specific color?  Here are a few options:

• Pink: ‘Lullaby Baby’, ‘Chicago Candy Cane’,  ‘Halls Pink’
• Lavender/Purple: ‘Mountain Violet’, ‘Velvet Shadows’,  Summer Wine’
• Red: ‘Hearts Afire’, ‘Oriental Ruby’,  ‘Red Mittens’
• Orange: ‘Rocket City’, ‘Carrot Top’, ‘By Myself’
• Yellow: ‘Lemon Lollypop’, ‘Mini Stella’, ‘Paradise Prince’
• White: ‘Crispin’, ‘Ice Carnival’, ‘May May’,  ‘So Lovely’

Despite their name, daylilies are not “true lilies” and grow from fleshy roots. 

Plant daylilies in the spring as soon as soil can be worked. 

Alternatively, plant them in early fall, at least 6 weeks before the first frost.

Although daylilies will survive in less-than-ideal conditions, they will perform best if given full sun and a spot with well-drained, fertile soil.

• Don’t plant near trees and shrubs that will compete for moisture and nutrients.

• Dig a hole wide enough for the roots to be spread out.
• The crown of the plant (where roots and leaves meet) should be buried about 1 inch deep. 
• Fill in soil, lightly packing it down around the plant.
• Water until the soil is well saturated.

One of the few routine maintenance chores needed when growing daylilies is dividing them. Dig up individual clumps and put them on a tarp. Use a sharp knife or spade to separate healthy young plants (fans) with strong root systems. Cut back the foliage and replant immediately in compost-amended soil or plant in containers for holding. 

In northern areas, newly planted daylilies can be mulched in late fall for added winter protection.