Hemerocallis (Daylily)

The Hemerocallis, also known as daylily, is a perennial that, unlike the ordinary lily, has no bulb or rhizome. The Hemerocallis has a coarse root system that grows into a firm clod. The leaves of the Hemerocallis grow from the crown of the plant.

The leaves of Hemerocallis can be distinguished by 3 groups, deciduous, partially evergreen, and evergreen. As the name implies, the flowers of Hemerocallis only bloom for one day. Fortunately, most varieties flower profusely and there are several buds on a flower stem. The flowering time differs per species, but in any case takes place between June and October. The Hemerocallis varies in length from 45-100 cm per species and grows best in sun-part shade. A lesser-known fact is that the Hemerocallis has a lot of edible flavours in the single-flowered cultivars. The flower of the Hemerocallis is served as a delicacy in more exclusive restaurants. The petals taste like radish. The leaves of the Hemerocallis tastes like lettuce and the carrots of the Hemerocallis taste like potatoes. In Japan, Hemerocallis middendorffii is still widely cultivated for its edible flowers.

The Hemerocallis originates from Asia. In Asia, this plant has been used as a calming medicine for hundreds of years. For example, the literal translation of the Chinese name for Hemerocallis is ‘the shrub that makes you forget’. Settlers and traders were also very impressed by the beauty of the flower and so Hemerocallis eventually arrived in Europe via various trade routes. The Hemerocallis is probably, together with the Paeonia and the Lilacs, one of the first ornamental plants that early settlers brought to Europe. The first Hemerocallisen appear in European paintings from about 500 AD.

At our nursery we grow about 350 different Hemerocallis varieties.