17 November 2009
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Daylily, Hemerocallis

Most daylilies do just that - flower for one day only. But don't let that put you off. New buds keep developing - producing a long run of summer flowers. And the colour range is huge.

Recommended varieties

Most hemerocallis species come from the Far East, where they've been cultivated for thousands of years. The yellow H. lilioasphodelus was one of the first Chinese species to be introduced to Europe - during the 16th century. In fact, the unopened flower buds are a Chinese delicacy!

Flower shapes now vary from singles and doubles to spidery petals, ruffled edges and almost flat-faced blooms; the simple, elegant trumpet shape remains a big favourite. And there are hundreds of varieties that are good for a lively burst of border colour. Grow them in small clumps dotted through a scheme.

H. fulva 'Kwanzo Variegata': its semi-double orange flowers have coppery red markings, the leaves are variegated, and in good soil stems can reach up to 1.2m (4ft). Only a few specialists sell it.
H. 'Golden Chimes': typically free-flowering, it has yellow, star-shaped blooms with gorgeous mahogany backs to the petals. The buds are reddish-brown. This plant has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
H. 'Helle Berlinerin': one of the relatively few award-winning daylilies, it has creamy-white midsummer flowers, and has also been given the AGM.
H. 'Marion Vaughn': one of the most strongly scented daylilies, it has lemon-yellow flowers through the second half of summer (has been given the AGM, too).
H. 'Stafford': gives an extremely generous midsummer show of scarlet flowers with a yellow throat.
H. 'Stella de Oro': a famous new introduction that seldom exceeds 30cm (12in) high and has neat, bell-like, brassy yellow blooms. Its flowering season can extend from early summer to late autumn, if regularly fed with a potash-rich liquid fertiliser.

Growing tips

Site and soil preferences: Most varieties prefer soil that doesn't dry out completely in summer, and, although they need plenty of sun, red varieties such as H. 'Stafford' are more successful in a light woodland setting that prevents petal-scorching. Daylilies also look good planted by a pond or stream, but only if the soil isn't too soggy and it's one of the older, more robust varieties, such as H. 'Golden Chimes'.

Planting associations: H. 'Stella de Oro', like the other dwarf and miniature varieties, is a good choice for a container. Grow it on its own or with contrasting plants such as Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia 'Palace Purple' or the blue-green foliage of Euphorbia myrsinites. When planted in groups, the dense foliage will suppress all but the most determined weeds, which is one reason why daylilies are becoming so popular.

Division: Groups of plants that grow vigorously for a number of years can become congested and, as a result, start producing fewer flowers. If this happens, divide them in spring and replant the sections in enriched soil to give them a new lease of life. Separate the lush leaves emerging from the fleshly roots to create new plants. Pot these up and allow them to establish.

Feeding: Apply a sprinkling of high-potash fertiliser in spring, followed by a mulch of compost to encourage strong growth and plenty of flowering stems.

Problem solver

The daylily escapes most pests and diseases, but keep a look out for flower buds that become abnormally swollen and fail to open. This is most likely to be caused by the hemerocallis gall midge - a tiny insect whose grubs feed inside the unopened buds. As the pests are well protected from sprays, the only remedy is to pick off and destroy any buds that are affected. Because the main egg-laying period is in late spring, late-flowering varieties often escape damage.