Hemerocallis (Day Lilies)

Hemerocallis grow in a wide range of soils and situations. Some authorities say that well-drained soil is best, but we have successfully grown them in our bog garden. For best results add lots of compost or well rotted manure at planting time, but if you can't (and, be honest, who ever has enough organic matter to add to planting holes?), they will grow well in most soils and in most sites but may not get as tall and have smaller or fewer flowers.

They love sun but will grow in fairly light shade - particularly the taller more vigorous cultivars. You can plant at most times of the year including midsummer. If you received newly divided plants in autumn or winter as bare root it might be best to pot them up and put them in the greenhouse or cold frame.

Give them between 1ft 6in and 2ft 6in space depending on size and vigour. Plant just with the crown at or just below the surface.

Growing Keep them well watered, avoiding wetting the flowers and buds if possible, mulch in late spring, remove dead foliage and feed with a balance fertiliser once a year.

Deadhead spent blooms: they turn into a soggy mess then dry smeared over the leaves and other buds. Beware that the deadheads can stain clothing and skin - these stains will normally come out with detergent. E

Day Lilies rarely need staking and even large heads of flowers and buds are self supporting. A few cultivars have very thin scapes (flower stems) that require some support.

Slugs and snails may be a short term problem on young foliage, but most plants shrug this off as they grow. 

Buds of early flowering varieties can be affected by Gall Midge. This is a tiny moth that lays its eggs on developing buds causing the buds to swell unnaturally. The maggots hatch and feed on the buds. Buds become swollen and round and eventually drop off. The best treatment is to pick off and dispose of infected buds. Spraying and winter soil drenches are possible treatments but we grow 1000's of plant and find removing the few infected buds at an early stage is the best treatment. Don't allow buds to fall on the ground as the maggots lay in the soil surface and then produce more adults 1 or 2 year later. Make sure you seal up the infected buds in a plastic bag and put it in your dustbin - don't drop them or compost them.

The best approach is not to grow early flowering ones. We only sell mid- to late-season bloomers.

MORE VARIETIES COMING SOON. All varieties in very limited numbers

Hemerocallis Cameroons

claret self with chalky eyezone and yellow green throat. Short. Mid-season flowering

Hemerocallis Crimson Pirate

Short spider form. Late flowering

Hemerocallis Fabulous Prize

Pink self underlayed with sandy yellow, with gold throat. Mid-season, mid-height.

Hemerocallis Farmer's Daughter

bright medium pink self, sometimes edged gold with yellow throat. Short variety mid-season blooming.

Hemerocallis Fly Catcher

Bright red spider form. Later flowering. Quite tall.

Hemerocallos Green Flutter

Short vairety with greenish yellow flowers.

Hemerocallis Kelly's Girl

Rose pink and light pink bitone with green throat. Mid-height and slightly later than mid-season blooming.

Hemerocallis Longfields Beauty

Creamy white light pink blend with creamy white curled edge above greenish yellow throat. Fragrant, mid-height, mid-season blooming. Fragrant

Hemerocallis Malaysian Monarch

Lovely bicolor in plummy shades

Hemerocallis Malmaison Plum

Mid-heght plants with large showy flowers in July and August. Plum ground with striking green throat and chalky white "watermark" eye. A stunner.

Hemerocallis Red Twister

Spider varient with twisted petals. Large flowers on long, upright stems. About 2ft 6in-3ft / 75-90cm. Flowers in mid summer.

Hemerocallis Root Beer

Deep, dark blackish-red.

Hemerocallis Ruffled Apricot

Mid to Tall height and late-season flowering. Very large flowers.

Hemerocallis Spiderman

Tall, scarlet-red with gold throat. A stunner. Mid-season flowering

Hemerocallis White Temptation

Almost pure white to start developing to a very pale lemon by the evening. Greenish-yellow throat. Fragrant.

All text and images ©SpecialPerennials.com 2007 - 2023 A partnership of Janet & Martin Blow. Privacy Statement