The Daylily

By Diane Stjern

Horticulture Lab - Fall 2010
NDSU

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Daylily is the common name given to the diverse species of flowers belonging to the genus Hemerocallis. Hemerocallis is derived from Greek meaning “day” and “beautiful.” This name is in reference to the fact that each daylily flower only blooms for one day. To make up for this, daylilies grow in clumps. After each bloom of a daylily flower, the next flower bud of the clump blooms the next day. With this cycle, established daylily clumps appear to be blooming and flowering almost all season.

Daylilies are sometimes thought to be the “perfect perennial.” This is because of many different factors. First, the daylily is a hearty plant. It can survive in a multitude of climates with little to no care and has relatively few pest and disease problems. Second, its growing season is quite long. It typically blooms from late spring into autumn. Last but not least, the daylily is available in a variety of colors and forms. Thousands of cultivars (cultivated varieties of a plant for specific characteristics such as color) have been developed over the years.