Practical
Plants

Hemerocallis aurantiaca

a perennial evergreen member of the Hemerocallis genus in the family Hemerocallidaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
0.75 m
Spread
0.5 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component[5]. (This report does not make clear what it means by blanching, it could be excluding light from the growing shoots or immersing in boiling water[K].)

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked[2][3]. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K]. Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked. The tubular flowers are about 7.5cm long and 13cm in diameter[5]. Each stem carries 6 - 8 flowers[5]. The flowers contain carotene and starch[2][3]. The flower buds contain about 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A and 3.1% protein[5]. Root - raw or cooked. A radish-like flavour but not so sharp[5].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning[5]. A tea made from the boiled roots is used as a diuretic[5].

Product or use
Antidote
Product or use
Diuretic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The tough dried foliage is plaited into cord and used for making footwear[5].

Product or use
Weaving

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Thickets, grasslands and streamsides at elevations of 300 - 1000 metres in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Taiwan[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in the middle of spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid and good. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[K]. Seed is only set if the plant is fertilized by another species, thus seedlings will not be true to the species type[6]. Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[4]. Division is very quick and easy, succeeding at almost any time of the year[K]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most soils[1], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil[5]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeding in sun or shade, it produces more flowers in a sunny position though these flowers can be shorter-lived in very sunny positions[5]. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[4]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[4]. The roots have spindle-shaped swellings[5]. The cultivar 'Major' is smaller than the type species, but has larger flowers, it is sometimes cultivated for these edible flowers in Japan[5]. There is some doubt as to whether this cultivar really is a form of H. aurantiaca[5]. Individual flowers are very short-lived, opening in the morning and withering in the evening[5]. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[1]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[6]. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[4]. There is some doubt as to the origins of this plant, it might have arisen in cultivation at Kew[5]. It is cultivated in Japan, where it is believed to have come from China[8]. It is quite possibly a hybrid since it is sterile unless fertilized by another species[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Erhardt. W. Hemerocallis. Day Lilies. Batsford. 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7134-7065-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11↩12↩13↩14↩15

  6. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  8. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

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