by Eleanor Moyer, Clay County Master Gardener Volunteer

I’ve been blown away this spring with the season’s first flush of spectacular flowers! It’s gratifying to think there are months of flowers to follow. One of the easiest perennials to care for, easiest to grow, and consistently wonderful is Hemerocallis, also known as the daylily.

Despite its nomenclature, it is not at all a lily. Its name is Greek, ‘hemera’ (day) and ‘kallos’ (beauty) as each flower lasts but a day. Even though Hemerocallis fulva has been decorating American roadsides and ditches for centuries, colonists brought the plant from Europe after discovering it growing in Asia. The over 80,000 varieties of hybrids we have come to love are what decorate our summer gardens. They come in every shade but blue, have varieties that bloom early, mid, and late summer and even some that rebloom.

True lilies grow from bulbs, daylilies have large fleshy roots which make them excellent plants for erosion control. Find a location with at least six hours of sun. Soak the bare root in water for one to two hours. Loosen the soil, dig a hole with a mound in the center. Lay the center of the plant on the mound fanning out the roots. Cover with soil and water well. The crown (top of the root) should be about one inch deep. Add compost and mulch and keep watered until it becomes established. It is possible for a plant to need a year of growth before blooming. The optimal time for planting is spring or fall. Now would be a good time to spy on a neighbor’s or friend’s daylilies to see if there is one, they may want to share. For optimal flowering, daylilies should be divided every 4 to 5 years, so you would be doing them a favor! Divide by digging up the whole plant. Depending on the size, pull apart or use a shovel to break apart smaller sections. Replant these around the garden or give to a friend. They do not require much tending. Fertilize with a slow release or standard mix once in the spring and once in the fall. Since it is perennial, it will come back year after year.

The blooming period lasts two to three weeks, but there are 12 to 15 buds on each flowering stem (scape) with 4 to 6 scrapes per plant. If you plant varieties the bloom early, mid, and late, you could have a couple of months of flowers. When purchasing a variety, a height is often listed which refers to the height of the flowering scape. Some are as high as six feet! Paler shades do better in full sun, with deeper shades able to handle light shade. The plants are drought tolerant but can also get their feet wet. They are virtually pest free except for a recent fungus that causes streaks on the leaves. Remove and discard affected leaves. If that is not sufficient, spray with a fungicide according to label directions.

All parts of the plant are edible (except to cats) with a mild peppery taste. Wouldn’t one make a spectacular garnish for a salad! When cooked in a stew or soup it acts as a thickening agent. According to lore, if the blossoms open later than 7 a.m. or close before 7 p.m., look for rain. Daylilies can be planted in pots with the caveat that a regular size plant would need at least a gallon sized planter. Happy gardening!