Daylily
Hemerocallis fulva
Family: Asphodelaceae · Also called Hemerocallis, Tiger Lily (incorrectly), Golden Needles, Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus var. fulva, Hemerocallis crocea
Green & Fresh · Summer bloomer
The daylily lives up to its name, each trumpet-shaped bloom opens at dawn and withers by nightfall, but a well-established clump produces so many buds in succession that flowering continues for weeks. Modern hybrids come in virtually every color except true blue and pure white, with forms ranging from spidery and ruffled to round and flat.
motherhood, flirtation, fleeting beauty
In the Victorian language of flowers, daylily means “Coquetry, flirtatious beauty”. In China, the daylily (萱草, xuān cǎo) is the 'mother's flower', it was traditionally planted in a mother's garden before her children left home. Every part is edible in Chinese cuisine: dried buds (golden needles) are a staple in hot-and-sour soup. The genus name means 'beauty for a day.'
Did You Know?
There are over 90,000 registered daylily cultivars, more than any other perennial. Despite looking like lilies, daylilies are not true lilies (they grow from rhizomes, not bulbs). The common orange daylily (H. fulva) is sterile, it spreads only by root division, yet it has naturalized across entire continents through garden escapes.
Meadows, forest margins, and stream banks in temperate to subtropical regions
Daylily is native to East Asia. It naturally grows in meadows, forest margins, and stream banks in temperate to subtropical regions.
Scent Profile
“A light, sweet fragrance, some varieties (especially yellow and pale types) carry a pleasant, citrus-tinged scent, while others are scentless. Night-blooming varieties tend to be the most fragrant.”
Quick Reference
- Scientific NameHemerocallis fulva
- FamilyAsphodelaceae
- Native ToEast Asia
- Bloom SeasonSummer
- LifespanPerennial
Cultural Significance
In China, the daylily (萱草, xuān cǎo) is the 'mother's flower', it was traditionally planted in a mother's garden before her children left home. Every part is edible in Chinese cuisine: dried buds (golden needles) are a staple in hot-and-sour soup. The genus name means 'beauty for a day.'