Interesting facts about daylilies

daylily

A daylily is a flowering plant in the genus Hemerocallis.

There are about 15 species of daylilies.

More than 80,000 of cultivars have been registered by local and international Hemerocallis societies.

They are found from central Europe to eastern Asia.

Gardening enthusiasts and professional horticulturalists have long bred daylily species for their attractive flowers.

daylilies

Often called the ‘perfect perennial’ because of its numerous qualities: showy owers, wide array of vibrant colors,drought tolerance, heat stress immunity, ability to grow in most hardiness zones and low care requirements, daylily is a remarkable and stunning addition to the garden!

Their name alludes to the flowers which typically last no more than 24 hours (about a day or so).

hemerocallis

Daylilies have fleshy roots and narrow, sword-shaped leaves that are grouped at the base of the plant.

The flowers of most species open in early morning and wither during the following night, possibly replaced by another one on the same scape (flower stalk) the next day. Some species are night-blooming. Daylilies are not commonly used as cut flowers for formal flower arranging, yet they make good cut flowers otherwise as new flowers continue to open on cut stems over several days.

Daylilies come in many shades of color. There are lighter versions like pink and yellow and other pastel hues. There are also darker day lilies of purple and red. Hybridized versions of this blossom can have contrasting colors and markings too.

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The daylily fruit is a capsule.

The daylily is a flower that symbolizes motherhood. Especially in China, this means a mother’s devotion. Also, it can mean filial devotion to his or her mom. Basing it on the way the day lily was referred to in Chinese tradition; it can have many other meanings. For example, if the day lily has a cheerful position, it’s called wong yu.

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The name Hemerocallis comes from the Greek words ἡμέρα (hemera) “day” and καλός (kalos) “beautiful”.

Lilies are known to be the May birth flower, and the 30th wedding anniversary flower.

Daylily prices range from as low as $3 to as much as $500 for a single plant.

The flowers of Hemerocallis citrina are edible and are used in Chinese cuisine. They are sold (fresh ordried) in Asian markets as gum jum or yellow flower vegetables. They are used in hot and sour soup, daylilysoup, Buddha’s delight, and moo shu pork.