To say I love daylilies is an understatement. Okay, I think I’ve said that before, so maybe it’s true about flowers in general. Anyway, daylilies are one of the easiest, low-maintenance perennials to grow. They can be ignored and they’ll be fine, but you’ll be rewarded with outstanding blooms, if you give them lots of love, including good growing conditions. I have a bunch of daylily goodies to share with you, so let’s get started with some great Tips for Growing Daylilies.
A Little Education About Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
We are NOT talking about hemerocallis vulva (a/k/a orange ditch lilies) here. Sometimes when gardeners hear “daylilies” they immediately tune out, because they are thinking all daylilies are invasive and ugly like the common orange ditch lily. Sorry, if you have ditch lilies and love them, I don’t mean to offend you. From a daylily collector’s perspective, I’m here to tell you all daylilies are NOT the same. There are so many wonderful varieties of daylilies that it’s easy to get addicted. Ask me how I know.
Daylilies are NOT grown from bulbs and are not related to the lilies grown from bulbs (lilium) at all. The roots of a daylily plant are fibrous, clumping, fleshy masses that store water.
Each individual flower on a daylily plant blooms for just a day, thus the name daylily.
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Siloam June Bug
Reblooming Daylilies
I have quite a collection of daylilies (over 75 different varieties) and my favorites are the rebloomers. A reblooming daylily will start with it’s first big wave of blooms. When those blooms are finished, it will take a rest and send up more blooms a few weeks later. In my Zone 4b gardens, I don’t always get rebloom, but I find that lots of rebloomers are constant bloomers.
Any of the “returns” series fall into that constant bloomer category. Happy Returns is probably the most popular in this category. There’s also Rosy Returns, Red Hot Returns, Fragrant Returns, When My Sweetheart Returns, Passionate Returns, Stephanie Returns, etc., etc. This sweet little Passionate Returns is one of my favorites this year. Stella d’ Oro daylily is a very popular reblooming daylily as well.
Passionate Returns
Tips for Growing Daylilies – Where to Plant
Daylilies aren’t too picky about soil; although, they grow best in fertile, well-drained soil. Also, daylilies do best in full sun, but will also be okay in partial sun. Remember daylilies (and most other perennials) can be moved to a different location in your gardens if they aren’t doing well in the area you have them planted.
Itza Pink Teddy Daylily
Tips for Growing Daylilies – Care & Maintenance
Watering & Mulching for Daylilies
During their first growing season, daylilies should be watered during dry weather; and for several weeks after they are planted. This will help them get established more quickly. Rather than watering every day, water twice a week if it doesn’t rain, but water deeply, making sure the water soaks down into the root zone. Mulching around daylilies will help keep the soil moist and help to control weeds.
Deadheading Daylilies
Each daylily flower lasts just one day. To keep the plants looking their best, snap off the spent flowers, but be careful not to disturb nearby buds. In the before and after picture of a Fairy Tale Pink Daylily, you can see the difference between seed pods and new buds. Unless you have the patience to start daylilies from seed, you will also want to clip any seed pods. By clipping the spent flowers and the seed pods, the daylily will put it’s energy into making new flowers. Once the scapes no long have any new buds left, cut them back to the base of the plant to keep the plants looking tidy.
As you are deadheading, go ahead and remove any yellow leaves. Just a side note here about the foliage of daylilies. Some daylily varieties are more prone to yellowing foliage that others. I’ve noticed in my gardens that if we have an exceptionally hot and dry summer, some of my daylilies foliage looks awful and some are fine. I haven’t been able to find an explanation of this other than there’s nothing wrong with your daylily, it’s just the nature of some varieties. If you have a daylily with yellowing foliage, just clip the foliage as much as you need to. It will not hurt the plant.
Fertilizing Daylilies
It isn’t necessary to fertilize daylilies and I didn’t fertilize at my last home because the soil was awesome. At my current home, I fertilize my daylilies in the spring with a slow release fertilizer. I simply sprinkle Osmocote around the base of the plant and work it into the soil a bit, before applying a fresh layer of mulch. I believe adding this fertilizer has made a huge difference in my daylilies and the number of blooms on each plant.
Warrior’s Spear Daylily
How to Extend the Blooming Season, or Get Your Daylilies to Bloom Longer
As a recap of the above information, to get the most blooms from your daylilies, or to get your daylilies to bloom longer:
- Be sure your daylily plants get enough water. If you haven’t had enough rain, water your daylilies.
- Fertilize your daylilies with a slow release fertilizer in the spring.
- Deadhead your daylilies.
- Look for reblooming varieties of daylilies.
- Plant a variety of daylilies that are early bloomers, mid-season bloomers and late season bloomers.
Tropical Heatwave Daylily
Buying Daylilies Online
I’ll buy daylilies from any place they catch my eye, but my favorite place to purchase daylilies is online. If you really want to add some different varieties to your collection, shop online. Some of my favorite online daylily sellers are Oakes Daylilies and Smokey’s Gardens. I’ve had awesome results and received great customer service from both companies. Do you have a favorite online daylily source, please leave a comment and let us know.
A few things to remember when ordering online. Daylilies are usually sold by fans and they are shipped bare root with only 3 or 4 inches of leaves and stem. They come with planting and growing instructions, and I would recommend following those instructions.
Strawberry Candy Daylily
Daylily Collections
Are you a collector of daylilies like me? In order to keep track of all the daylilies I have, I created a Plant Inventory sheet that I keep in my Garden Journal. If you’re interested in getting a copy, I’ve included it in my library of Free Gardening Printables.
This photo of Inherited Wealth was taken in the evening just as the sun was shining it’s last few rays.
Inherited Wealth Daylily
Lavender Rainbow is really thriving this year. It’s one of the many daylilies I moved from my former home.
Here’s a Pin to save to one of your Gardening Boards on Pinterest for future reference.
There are additional Pins at the bottom of the post. Thanks for pinning!
Heavenly Angel Ice is a new addition this year and my first ever spider daylily.
Heavenly Angel Ice Daylily
Tips for Growing Daylilies – Transplanting & Dividing Daylilies
Daylilies will grow for many years just fine without being divided. After about 4 or 5 years when the plants are getting quite large, you may want to consider dividing your daylily. Sometimes if the plants get to overgrown, they will bloom less. The best time to divide daylilies is in early spring when they are first emerging from the ground, or in late summer after their bloom cycle is complete. The easiest way to divide daylilies is to dig up the entire plant and then cut or pull the clump apart into manageable clumps. Before replanting, cut the foliage back to a height of 5 or 6″. If you need help dividing and transplanting your daylilies, check out Tips for Transplanting Perennials.
Custard Candy Daylily
Like most other perennials, it takes daylilies a year or two to get established and take off, but once they do, they’ll bloom reliably for many years and just keep getting bigger and better with each passing year. That’s it for the Tips for Growing Daylilies, but I do have some more pretties I’d like to share with you.
Daylily Eye Candy (a/k/a Daylily Photo Gallery)
In the daylily images below, the name of the daylily is in the caption below the picture.
Indian Giver Daylily
Beautiful Edgings Daylily
Pure and Simple is one of the first daylilies to bloom in my gardens.
One of my favorites, because my sister sent it to me, Wild Horses.
Wild Horses Daylily
This daylily, First Lady Barbara, was a freebie from Oakes. I’ll take free!
First Lady Barbara Daylily
Jeune Tom Daylily
Siloam French Doll Daylily
Siloam Double Classic Daylily
Ruby Spider Daylily
Pewter Pink Daylily
Monterey Jack Daylily
Gaudy Gaudy Daylily
Entrapment Daylily
Elizabeth Salter Daylily
More garden inspiration, here are some other posts you’ll enjoy:
Classic Perennials (That Every Flower Garden Needs)
Small Shade Garden Transformation
Garden Decor (Lots of Creative Ideas for Your Garden)
Are Deer Chomping off your Daylily buds?
Dealing with Garden Pests
Having problems in your gardens, here are a few posts that will help:
Flower Garden Maintenance Tips
How to Deal With Weeds In Your Garden
Thanks a bunch for stopping by Gingham Gardens today. I hope you’ve enjoyed Tips for Growing Daylilies, along with some beautiful Daylily Eye Candy. The pictures I’m sharing with you today are a mere fraction of the daylilies in my gardens, so I’m sure I’ll be sharing more in the future.
The American Hemerocallis Society has a wealth of information on their website, if you’d like to learn more about daylilies, pay a visit when you’ve finished up here.
Do you have daylilies in your gardens? What are your favorites? Please leave a comment and let me know, or feel free to email a picture.
Happy gardening,
Joanna
p.s. Follow Gingham Gardens on Pinterest for lots of great gardening ideas and tons of gardener’s eye candy.
p.p.s. You can pin these pictures by hovering in the upper left-hand corner. Pin away! There’s a big pin at the bottom of the page too. Thanks a bunch!
A few of my favorite gardening things:
Pins to Save to Pinterest:
David E Ketner says
Check out Homestead Farms, they have great prices on their daylilies. The plants were large . The 58 i received are off and running nicely.
Joanna says
Thanks for stopping by Gingham Gardens. I took a peek at Homestead Farms and it looks like a great place with lots of daylilies to choose from. Happy gardening, Joanna
Carol says
Sometimes my daylily buds become swollen and deformed and do not bloom. What causes this?
Joanna says
Hi Carol, it could be excessive moisture or some type of insect. Unless you’re seeing the damage a lot, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. If you’re seeing lots of buds like this, I would suggest contacting your local extension office or a reputable nursery and taking a sample in to be checked. Thanks for stopping by and happy gardening! Joanna
Judy says
I have been trying to print your inventory sheet for day lilies but can not get it to open for printing- I love the pictures of your day lilies and want to try some of the return variety
Joanna says
Hi Judy – to print the Plant Inventory Sheet go to: https://ginghamgardens.com/gardening-resources/ and enter your password. Then, simply click where it says Gingham Gardens – Plant Inventory. You should then be able to print. If you’re still having a problem, please send me an email at: joannavonbergen@gmail.com. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Lynn Theobald says
Hi Joanna: Enjoying your gardens and tips so much. I have the golden yellow stella d oros but right now there is blooming all over a similar size plant but the lilies are a lighter butter yellow color and the blossoms seems more profuse and longer lasting on each plant. Any idea what the name of these are? Thanks much.
Joanna says
Hi Lynn, thanks so much! There are thousands of daylily varieties, but I will guess the one you’re referring to is Happy Returns. Look it up and see what you think. I actually prefer Happy Returns over Stella. Thanks for stopping by! Happy gardening
Ursula says
What do you do about deer. I wait patiently for mine to bloom and just when I think they will I go out and all the buds have been eaten. Very frustrating !
Joanna says
Hi Ursula – I feel your pain. One year I didn’t have any daylily blooms on about 10 daylilies because deer chomped the buds off. There are several things you can do, and instead of typing them all out here, I’m going to refer you to this post and you’ll learn how I kept deer from eating my daylilies and other plants. Good luck and happy gardening! Joanna
https://ginghamgardens.com/dealing-with-garden-pests/
Lisa says
Thank you for the wonderful post! I also love daylilies and have become familiar with Oakes Daylilies from your previous posts–thank you! We have a brand new house and we landscaped the backyard this summer and I ordered a BUNCH of daylilies from Oakes–it was like Christmas when they came!! They’re tiny, but most of them have bloomed already! They’re my favorite!
I enjoy reading all your posts and seeing your pictures!
Joanna says
Hi Lisa – thanks for stopping by! By year 3 your daylilies will look amazing. This is my third year for a lot of mine and lots of them have tons and tons of buds. Enjoy those daylilies and happy gardening!
A Guide to Northeastern Gardening says
Hi Joanna. I really enjoyed your post and your assortment of Daylilies is beautiful! I am glad to have found your blog and will visit often!
Joanna says
Hello Lee, I’m so very happy you found me too. I’ve enjoyed your gardens for some time now. Come back soon! Happy gardening
Pam richardson says
Joanna, once again I am in Daylily heaven. Thanks for all the tips and info. I appreciate you linking to Gardens Galore! Happy Tuesday!
Joanna says
Thanks for stopping by, Pam.
Carol says
I love lilies and your photos are gorgeous! Wonderful post.
Joanna says
Thanks so much, Carol.
Margy says
I don’t grow lilies, but I do use a lot of mulching in my containers to keep the soil moist during hot summer days. I use trimmings from my own garden plants so they can be incorporated into the soil when fall comes and the plants die back. – Margy
Joanna says
Hi Margy – thanks for stopping by. You’ve given me some good ideas, especially mulching containers. Happy gardening!
Sandra at Maison De Jardin says
Joanna: What a treat this post was to enjoy. You collect daylilies like I collect peonies. I, too, love daylilies but my space is limited. However, there are 3 of yours that really made my heart sing. The first is – Itza Pink Teddy, second – Inherited Wealth, and third – Beautiful Edgings. They are all stunning but these 3 are over the top gorgeous. You also gave some really good tips for their care.
I enjoyed my visit, I will return!
Joanna says
Sandra, thanks for stopping by. My space is limited too and I have to resist the urge to dig up more lawn. Happy gardening!
Chas Greener says
These are such beautiful flowers! Thanks for sharing at To Grandma’s House We Go!
Joanna says
Thanks, Chas, for stopping by.
Donna says
Hi Joana, I also love Daylilies & all the deadheading that goes along with them! I have a couple plants that had large beautiful flowers. Now they have gone to small flowers. Does that mean they have lost their hybred? Does that mean it should be divided & if so will they go back to large flowers again or are they done for?
Thanks for your help!
Joanna says
Hi Donna – thanks for stopping by. I don’t have an answer for you, so I’m going to speculate… I also had a few daylily plants where the flowers seemed smaller this year. I’m blaming mine on the terrible winter/spring we had. I don’t think it means they’ve lost their hybrid. If the plants are rather large, or crowded, they may need to be divided. Something else to consider is your soil. Perhaps add some compost in around your plants. I would also recommend fertilizing your daylilies next spring with some slow release fertilizer like Osmocote. Best of luck and happy gardening!
Donna says
Thanks for the quick response & advice. Another thing that is really weird about this clump of Daylilies is that one stem is the large original flower & the many other stems are small.
Joanna says
Yep, Donna, it does sound like the plant needs to be divided.
Kevin Johnson says
Like you, I totally love daylilies! I don’t dead head all my lilies. I’ll go out in the morning and choose a few of the best blossoms to pollinate. I’ll make notes on which varieties I pollinated. Sometimes. I’ll even cross pollinate a couple of varieties to create new colors or shapes. Once I do that, I’ll put a mesh bag over the flower (made from tulle fabric) so that none of the natural pollinators can mess up my work. In the fall, I’ll harvest the seed to plant and share.
Joanna says
Kevin – that sounds so cool, but it’s way beyond my abilities. I would love to see some pictures of some of your daylilies. Thanks for stopping by and happy gardening!
Liz @ Home and Gardening With Liz says
Excellent advice! I love daylilies too just wish I had more sunny areas to have more. It’s amazing how many varieties there are. I have a bunch of Stella d’oro daylilies that need to be split up. Those will often give a 2nd bloom especially if I have cut back the first blooms when they finished. I only picked that variety out because I wanted to border my island out front and notice them being used with many large displays. They aren’t as beautifully detailed like some of the varieties you’ve shown though.
Joanna says
Hi Liz – I started with Stella d’oro and those sweet little plants are definitely workhorses in the garden. I had so many at my last house that I vowed I would not have any in my new gardens. I did break down and buy two tiny ones last year. It’s sort of an addicting collection and I just keep buying different varieties. Soon I will run out of space for them. Thanks for stopping by and happy gardening!
Magnolia darjeeling says
Beautiful daylilies! When I moved to Minnesota, my husband’s house here had tons. Still does. I was not a daylilies fan until now. You have some that I may have to add to my list!
Joanna says
Thanks for stopping by and happy gardening!
Kathy M. says
Used to grow and sell Daylilies in Virginia. Had about 300 varieties but when we downsized and move to N.C. only brought about 50 cultivars. Have done well here as long as the deer leave them alone. One tip is if you want to cut them for an arrangement, cut some big buds the night before,place in a large case and have a wonderful surprise bouquet in the morning😁
Joanna says
Hi Kathy, I love your tip for cutting daylilies! Thanks for stopping by. Happy gardening!
Shelly says
I love, love, love your daylilies! They are beautiful! We bought a house two years ago and what they left me with is a big mess! The yard and her flower beds were a nightmare. It’s taken two growing seasons to figure out what I had to work with. I have a big back yard and have already planned how to landscape it. It was just yesterday that I decided to use daylilies along the fence. I was not aware that daylilies came in so many colors. I’ve seen lots of orange ones they are all over the place here in Iowa. I’m ok with the orange ones but the ones you have are so stunning I have to rethink my plan and do more daylilies all over the place! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and such pretty flowers with us!
Joanna says
Hi Shelly, thanks for stopping by. I’m just going to be brutally honest here and tell you, you’ll be sorry if you plant (or keep) orange daylilies, better known as ditch lilies. They are weeds and they will take over and they are hard to get rid of. We also bought a fixer upper with a 1/2 acre yard that was in dire need of lots and lots of tlc. When you have a few minutes, check out some of my makeover posts. Good luck with your garden projects and happy gardening!
Shelly says
Thanks for the info! After I saw your beautiful daylilies there was no way I was settling for the orange ones! Thanks again! I love your blog!
Joanna says
Oh good, Shelly, sometimes I’m a little to forthcoming with my opinions. Keep up the hard work in your gardens and soon it will pay off. Take lots of pictures along the way. Happy gardening!
Shelly says
You are fine I would rather have someone Ike you guiding me than make a big mistake. Thanks again!
Barbara kirkelie says
Are Daylilies seasonal? I live in Tennessee and it’s really been hot this summer. My leaves are turning yellow and it’s in the middle of July?
Joanna says
Hi Barbara – thanks so much for stopping by. Yes, daylilies are seasonal. They are perennials, which means they come back every year, but they only bloom in the summer. Different varieties bloom at different times. It’s normal to have some of the leaves of a daylily plant turn yellow. Make sure they get watered in dry spells. I would also recommend using some fertilizer in the spring. One of my favorite daylily farms is in Corryton, Tennessee. Every year at the end of June, they have a daylily festival. Some day I would love to go. Best of luck and happy gardening!
Julie says
Your daylilies are beautiful. How do you remember all the names. You must stay busy just pulling off the spent blooms everyday. I live south of the twin cities, so the same zone as you. My daylilies are in much need of dividing. Would that be the reason the under leaves are turning brown. Also, what do you do with all the lilles you divide. Do you just keep finding room in your gardens or do you sell them. Living in the country I have a grassy/weedy hill I throw plants in and I have quite a few different perenials that are blooming back there now.
Joanna says
Hi Julie, thanks for stopping by. Every time I plant a new daylily, I place a plant tag with it and that’s how I know their names. Pretty much every day when I get home from work, I spend some time going through my gardens just deadheading and pulling weeds. I find it’s a great way to relax. Since I’m in a new place I have had to divide any daylilies in a few years. At my previous home, I would have plant sales every spring to sell divisions from my gardens. I’ve found that some daylily foliage will turn yellow and brown. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your plants, it’s just a trait of daylilies. I just pull or cut it off.