Cultivating and Caring for Hemerocallis in Your Garden

Hemerocallis, the scientific name for daylilies, has a fancy ring to it, right? These vibrant flowers belong to the Xanthorrhoeaceae family. The name ‘Hemerocallis’ is derived from the Greek words ‘hemera’ (day) and ‘kallos’ (beauty). Despite the common name, daylilies aren’t true lilies and don’t grow from true bulbs. Instead, they emerge from thick rhizomes and fleshy tuberous roots. In their appearance, they do have similarities to true lilies, displaying six petals and a similar size, with flowers that are either single or double. With about 80,000 registered cultivars in a rainbow of colours, from sunny yellow and orange to pink, wine red, and purple, there’s no shortage of options to keep your garden vibrant for months.

Planting and caring for Hemerocallis

Daylilies are a delight in the mixed perennial border, reaching heights of between 60cm - 1.2m. Once you receive your daylily bulbs, they should be planted immediately. When planting, place the plant in the soil so the crown – where the stem and roots meet – sits a couple of centimetres above the soil level. The base of the leaves will be at the surface of the soil. They are pretty flexible and can be planted out at pretty much any time of the year, but best is around 3 – 4 weeks before or after the winter seasons. Space your daylilies about 30cm apart. They’re quite frost hardy, thanks to their chilly origins. Feed them with some bulb food when planting, after the first flowering flush, then after their final flush, and a final treat before they go into dormancy.

Do daylilies do better in sun or shade?

Daylilies thrive in plenty of light, so they should be planted in full sun. However, in very hot regions, they can tolerate some light shade, especially in the afternoon.

Are day lilies indigenous to South Africa?

Daylilies are from East Asia and Central Europe, but they do extremely well in our climate. 

How long do daylilies last?

Though each daylily flower is a bit of a one-day wonder, these plants are like the show that never ends. With multiple stems constantly sending out new blooms, they'll keep the performance going from November all the way to mid-autumn—no need to worry about a short curtain call here!

How do you get daylilies to keep blooming?

Peak blooming time in South Africa is from November to April, but the length of the bloom period depends a lot on the variety. Deadheading, or removing the spent flowers will promote better flowering, as the plant then won’t work at producing seed, which reduces the number of flowers due to seed formation generally draining the plant of nutrients. Flowering is also enhanced by providing regular watering, feeding and planting in a compost-rich soil. In the garden, water every 3-4 days for 10 minutes, provided it hasn’t rained, and make sure to mulch with compost.

When to divide daylilies

You can divide daylilies every 3 – 4 years during early spring and autumn when not in bloom, taking care not to split into too small sections as it will then take the plants a lot longer to recover and set roots. Although you can plant 4 or 5 in a large container, daylilies look at their dazzling best when mass planted, especially in blocks of differing colours (like a living rainbow). As they can reach up to 1.2m in height, you can plant them towards the back of garden beds – they’re perfectly happy to create a dazzling backdrop to other plants. They coexist happily with companions such as Rudbeckia, shasta daisies, Echinacea and indigenous ‘veld’ grasses. They’re also great for using on slopes, as the roots form a dense underground ‘web’ which holds soil in place. 

Are daylilies evergreen?

Daylilies are the evergreen wonders every gardener wants to have in their garden. When they aren’t blooming, their attractive foliage fills your garden with glowing greenery. These glorious, super-adaptable, vigorous evergreen perennials will bring you years of delight with just a bit of care.

Can you eat daylilies? 

In Asia, and especially in China, the flowers are commonly eaten. The tender leaves of H. minor are also eaten in China and are said to have an intoxicating and stimulating effect. However, there’s a bit of confusion, when it comes to eating daylilies. Not all daylilies are safe to eat. Generally, yellow and orange daylilies are supposed to be edible, but red varieties might not be. It’s best to air on the side of caution and check specific types before dining on them.

Hemerocallis is a charming addition to any garden, offering year-round beauty and a touch of enchantment to your outdoor spaces. Add Hemerocallis to your garden this season and enjoy these long-lived, easy-to-grow plants!

Happy Spring!

Disclaimer : The Hemerocallis available on hadeco.co.za is not known to be edible and should not be consumed.