Daylily

What does Daylily look like?

Daylilies grow in clumps with long, arching, grass-like leaves that rise from the base. Their flowers are large and showy, each with six petal-like segments called tepals, often with a contrasting throat. The blooms appear on leafless stalks and usually last just one day, though new flowers open daily on the same plant. Daylilies now come in many colors and forms, from simple single blooms to ruffled or double varieties.

Where does Daylily come from?

Native to eastern Asia, especially China, Korea, and Japan, daylilies have grown wild in these regions for centuries. Ancient Chinese artwork depicts orange daylilies much like those seen today. The plant was formally named Hemerocallis in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. Over time, daylilies spread to Europe and North America, where they became common in gardens and naturalized in the wild.

When and how Daylily blooms

Daylilies are perennials that grow from rhizomes and tuberous roots, which store water and nutrients. They thrive in a range of climates and soils, and are usually planted in gardens for their resilience and ease of care. Flowering times vary by species and variety, with some blooming in spring, others in summer or autumn. Many modern hybrids can rebloom within the same season.

How Daylily is used

Gardeners prize daylilies for their colorful, low-maintenance blooms. Some species have edible flowers, while others are toxic. The plants are not often used in formal flower arrangements, but their flowers can be cut for vases, as new blooms open daily. Daylilies are also grown as emblems in some regions and have been featured in traditional art.

Kinds of Daylily

There are over 100,000 registered cultivars, with breeders focusing on new colors, shapes, and improved hardiness. The most common ancestors are the yellow lemon lily (Hemerocallis flava) and the orange tawny daylily (Hemerocallis fulva). Modern hybrids include diploid, triploid, and tetraploid plants, offering a wide range of flower forms and colors, except for true blue.

What Daylily means

Daylilies have a long history in Asian culture and are depicted in ancient Chinese paintings. In the United States, they are celebrated by the American Daylily Society, which registers new cultivars and awards outstanding varieties. The plant's adaptability and beauty have made it a symbol of resilience and renewal in gardens around the world.

Where Daylily is used and seen

Hakone Botanical Garden of WetlandsA garden of wetland and alpine plants in Hakone, JapanPowell GardensA 970-acre botanical garden near Kansas City, MissouriCheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of ArtA historic Nashville estate with gardens and an art museumWojsławice ArboretumA vast botanical garden in southwest Poland with major rhododendron and daylily collectionsLan Su Chinese GardenA classical Chinese garden in Portland’s Chinatown

Questions people ask about Daylily

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• Hemerocallis 'Burning Daylight'Royal Horticultural Society, Article
• USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Daylily on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data