USA plant library · perennial

Daylily

Hemerocallis spp. and hybrids · Asphodelaceae

Tough and low-maintenance, with thousands of cultivars

Photo: en:Laineypaige, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Adaptable; well-drained
Soil pH: Adaptable, with no special pH needs; slightly acidic to neutral is preferred
Water: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established
Hardiness: USDA zones 3-9
Height and spread: 1-3 ft x 1-3 ft

Guv's tipDaylilies are toxic to cats and can cause kidney failure, so keep cats well away. Otherwise, deadhead and divide in early spring.

Through the year

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sow or plant

In flower

Months are a rough guide. Time it by your own frost dates.

When to plant

Plant or divide in early spring, or right after flowering in late summer

Flowering

Late spring to fall depending on cultivar; mainly Jun-Aug

Pruning

Deadhead. Remove flower stalks (scapes) and old foliage

Making more plants

Division

Watch out for

Pest

Aphids / thrips

Look for: Distorted buds and flowers

What to do: Hose off; insecticidal soap

Pest

Slugs and snails

Look for: Chewed leaves, slime trails

What to do: Hand-pick, iron phosphate bait

Disease

Leaf streak

Aureobasidium microstictum

Look for: Yellow streaks along midrib turning brown

What to do: Remove affected leaves, avoid overhead watering

Disease

Daylily rust

Puccinia hemerocallidis

Look for: Orange pustules on leaves

What to do: Resistant cultivars, remove infected foliage

Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.

Safety and spread

Pets and people: Toxic to cats (kidney failure). Not toxic to dogs or horses (ASPCA, "Day Lilies"; NC State Extension also flags it as a problem for cats)

Weed risk: Hybrids: none. Orange (tawny) daylily, H. fulva, naturalizes along Southern roadsides and ditches and has invasive status in the USDA PLANTS database. Not a federal noxious weed

Checked against two or more reputable gardening sources. How we check our facts

Keep it by the back door

The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book

Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 USA plants in one book.

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