Practical
Plants

Hemerocallis minor

Grassleaf Day Lily

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Spread
0.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

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[10]. (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[7][8][15][16][5]. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K]. One report says that eating these leaves appears to stimulate or intoxicate to some extent[7]. Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked[7][8][15][16]. Considered to be a great delicacy[3]. The flowers are a traditional food in China where they are steamed and then dried[14]. The flowers can be dried and used as a relish or a thickener in soups etc[4][5]. The flower buds contain about 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A and 3.1% protein[10]. Root - raw or cooked[5][10]. A radish-like flavour but not so sharp[10].

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.

Anodyne, antidote, diuretic, febrifuge[4]. The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning[10]. The root also has a folk history of use in the treatment of cancer - extracts from the roots have shown antitumour activity[11]. A tea made from the boiled roots is used as a diuretic[10].

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Antidote
Product or use
Cancer
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Febrifuge

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[10].

Product or use
Weaving

Environment

Range
E. Asia - N. China, Korea.
Habitat
Water meadows, elevated wet places with sandy soils, forest glades, mountain slopes and scrub[17].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
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]. Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[9]. 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 and a sunny position[2] but tolerating partial shade[18]. Plants flower less freely in a shady position though the flowers can last longer in such a position[10]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[9]. A very cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[6]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[9]. A very ornamental plant, its roots are slender and not tuberous, whilst the rhizomes are not spreading[6]. The roots sometimes have bulbous swellings at their tips[10]. The flowers open in the evening and live for about 2 days[10]. The flowers have a powerful scent of honeysuckle[13]. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[9]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[12]. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[9].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00

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

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  4. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩1↩2

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  10. 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. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

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

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  13. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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

    ↩

  15. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  16. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  17. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩

  18. RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987-00-00

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