Practical
Plants

Hemerocallis species

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.2 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[3]. (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. They have a delicious sweet flavour, but must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K]. Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked. The quality varies from cultivar to cultivar. All are pleasantly sweet and crunchy, though some leave an unpleasant after-taste in the mouth. In general, those with yellow or scented flowers are less desirable than those with brown to red flowers[K]. Root - raw or cooked.

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[3]. A tea made from the boiled roots is used as a diuretic[3].

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[3].

Product or use
Weaving

Environment

Range
A range of garden hybrids.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
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, pot up 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]. Hemerocallis cultivars will not breed true from seed, though seedlings do offer an opportunity to develop superior varieties for eating[K]. Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[2]. 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.

There are many cultivars of garden origin in this genus that cannot be placed as part of a species simply because they are the result of many generations of hybridization. In general they all have edible flowers, young shoots and roots, though the quality will vary considerably from cultivar to cultivar. The following notes are general for the genus. Succeeds in most soils[1], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil[3]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Succeeding in sun or shade, it produces more flowers in a sunny position though these flowers can be shorter-lived in very sunny positions[3]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[2]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[2]. Individual flowers are very short-lived, they open in the late afternoon and fade in the following morning[3]. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[1]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[4]. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[2].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

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

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