Orange daylily or Hemerocallis fulva, a species from the Hemerocallis genus belongs in the Hemerocallidoideae subfamily of the Asphodelaceae family and is indigenous to Asia. This plant was first cultivated in Europe starting from the 1500s onwards and, after escaping from gardens, became an invasive species across Europe, most of the US, and some areas of Canada.
| Common name | Daylily, Ditch Lily, Orange Daylily, Tawny Daylily, Tiger Daylily |
| Botanical name | Hemerocallis fulva |
| Family | Asphodelaceae |
| Species | fulva |
| Origin | Asia |
| Life cycle | Bulb |
| Plant type | Edible |
| Hardiness zone | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Sunlight | Full Sun |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Soil condition | High Organic Matter |
| Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Flowering period | Summer |
| Height | 3 ft. – 6 ft. |
| Width | 3 ft. – 6 ft. |
| Flower color | Orange |
| Leaf color | Green |
| Fruit type | Capsule |
| Flower benefit | Showy |
| Garden style | Butterfly Garden |
| Uses | Naturalized Area |
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Hemerocallis fulva, the orange day-lily, tawny daylily, corn lily, tiger daylily, fulvous daylily, ditch lily or Fourth of July lily (also railroad daylily, roadside daylily, outhouse lily, and wash-house lily), is a species of daylily native to Asia. It is very widely grown as an ornamental plant in temperate climates for its showy flowers and ease of cultivation. It is not a true lily in the genus Lilium, but gets its common name from the superficial similarity of its flowers to Lilium and from the fact that each flower lasts only one day.
Orange daylily is native to Asia from the Caucasus east through the Himalaya through China, Japan, and Korea.
It is an herbaceous perennial plant growing from tuberous roots, with stems 40–150 centimetres (16–59 inches) tall. The leaves are linear, 0.5–1.5 metres (1+1⁄2–5 feet) long and 1.5–3 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄4 in) broad. The flowers are 5–12 cm (2–4+3⁄4 in) across, orange-red, with a pale central line on each tepal; they are produced from early summer through late autumn on scapes of ten through twenty flowers, with the individual flowers opening successively, each one lasting only one day. Its fruit is a three-valved capsule 2–2.5 cm (3⁄4–1 in) long and 1.2–1.5 cm (1⁄2–5⁄8 in) broad which splits open at maturity and releases seeds.
Both diploid and triploid forms occur in the wild, but most cultivated plants are triploids which rarely produce seeds and primarily reproduce vegetatively by stolons. At least four botanical varieties are recognized, including the typical triploid var. fulva, the diploid, long-flowered var. angustifolia (syn.: var. longituba), the triploid var. Flore Pleno, which has petaloid stamens, and the evergreen var. aurantiaca.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
These cheery flowers love full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days. However, in hot climates they might need a bit of shade from the harsh afternoon sun. And while they can still grow in somewhat shady areas in general, they won’t produce as many blooms.
Temperature and Humidity
Orange daylilies have good tolerance for both heat and humidity. Frost will kill the foliage and cause them to go dormant in the fall. But they should survive through winter temperatures that drop well below freezing.
Watering
Water young plants at least weekly to keep the soil moist but never soggy. After the first year, you likely won’t have to water your mature daylilies unless your area is going through a prolonged drought. But note that the plants prefer roughly an inch of water per week and will produce more blooms if they have optimal moisture.
Soil
Orange daylilies can grow in poor soils as long as they have good drainage. But they prefer an organically rich, moist soil. A slightly acidic to neutral soil pH is best.
Fertilizing
To maintain and encourage the growth of your orange daylily, keep the plant mulched to help its soil retain moisture, particularly in the fall and winter. You can also use a general-purpose fertilizer in the spring to aid bloomage. If using a general-purpose fertilizer, consider using a water-soluble type and ensure that the fertilizer never comes into contact with the plant’s foliage.
Planting Instructions
As this plant can reach up to 1.5 m in height and 91 cm wide, it is important to give it adequate space – a spacing of 46 cm apart works well. This is a hardy plant, so can be planted in spring, summer or fall, but will do best when planted in the spring.
Before planting your orange daylily, mix the soil with a good amount of mulch. This will help your plant to settle in quicker and give it the nutrients it needs. When digging the hole, ensure that it is twice the size of the root ball. It should also be deep enough so that the root ball sits just below the topsoil level once planted.
If your orange daylily comes in a packet instead of a container, it would be best to first plant it in a container inside a cold frame, before planting into the ground in the spring. This will help the plant to become a little more accustomed to the outdoor weather before planting.
While you can grow your orange daylily in an outdoor container, it prefers to be in the soil and makes a lovely garden border. If planting in a container, make sure that the container has many drainage holes to prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged. Again, the box should be twice the size of the rootball to provide enough room for your plant. Once planted, water your plant regularly in the first month or so to ensure that it settles well.
Pruning
The orange daylily produces, and loses, flowers each day during its blooming season. This blooming season typically lasts for five weeks during summer through to fall. Although this plant is self-sufficient, some choose to deadhead the plant regularly throughout the flowering season for aesthetic purposes. To deadhead your orange daylily, simply pinch and pluck the wilted flower from the stem.
Once the flowering season has finished, this plant will naturally die back, but a good tip is to remove dead leaves as you notice them.
Propagation
Orange daylilies can spread quite rapidly through underground rhizomes. To keep them from getting overcrowded and to create more daylily plants, you can divide mature plants in the fall. Here’s how:
- Wait until your daylily is done blooming for the season.
- Gently dig up the root system using a spade. Try to avoid cutting roots as much as possible.
- Using sharp garden snips or a spade, divide the entire plant into two or more sections.
- Replant the sections wherever you wish at the same depth they previously were growing. Water well.
Potting and Repotting
Growing orange daylily plants in containers isn’t much different from growing them in the ground; both are easy and low-maintenance. Make sure to use a pot with drainage holes. Unglazed clay is a good material because it will let excess soil moisture evaporate through its walls.
You’ll also need a fairly large pot to accommodate the daylily’s root system. A 5-gallon container should suffice. Aim to choose a container that will accommodate the plant’s mature size to avoid disturbing the roots with repotting.
The best time to plant a container is in the spring. Fill the container with potting soil instead of garden soil, as heavy garden soil can compact after frequent waterings and smother the plant’s roots.
Overwintering
As winter approaches, it is best to leave the foliage in place, allowing it to die off and remain on the ground. This will help to protect and insulate the roots over winter. Remove the plant debris in the early spring.
Pests and Diseases
Thrips, aphids, spider mites, and gall midges commonly attack these plants. Thrips generally don’t need treatment if the plant is healthy. Severe infestation can be treated with horticultural or neem oil to eliminate these pests. Aphids can be dealt with using a homemade insecticidal soap spray. Spider mites mostly cause trouble in hot and/or dry weather. Keeping the plant well watered and a shower once weekly or so in hot weather will help reduce spider mite infestations.
The gall midge, a pest now widespread over areas of Northwestern US and Canada, hides inside buds in winter and damages infected buds from inside. Contact insecticides generally don’t work and infected foliage must be destroyed.
Streak and rust are fungal diseases that affect the plant, both are somewhat similar although rust is the more serious problem. They appear as orange-yellow streaks and spots on the leaves during warm weather and might initially be considered chlorosis.
The easiest way to define what infection you are dealing with is by touching affected areas with a tissue or your finger. If an orange, powdery substance gets wiped off, then the problem is rust.
It can spread rapidly between plants although it is usually recommended to destroy any plant infected with rust, cutting down the infected foliage can help limit its spread. It can also be treated with copper fungicide. The streak is not as serious but infected foliage must be cut down and destroyed. Any remaining foliage can be cut down after flowering ends as well since streaks can overwinter among the leaves.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Culinary uses
The flowers, leaves, and tubers are edible. The leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked when very young (or they become too fibrous). The flowers and young tubers can also be eaten raw or cooked. The flowers taste better when cooked but can also be fried for storage or dried and used as a thickener in soup. The cooked flower buds, served with butter, taste like green beans or wax beans. The tubers are a good potato substitute.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
While the orange daylily is not recommended for floristry, many choose to cut flowering stems for indoor bouquets. To do this, cut the flowering stem and place near a window in a vase with lots of water.
Find Where to Buy the Best Orange Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)
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