Daylily

Questions about daylily

Does daylily need sun or shade?

Daylily grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does daylily grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does daylily flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to early August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should daylily be planted?

24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.

It grows 2½ ft (75 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many daylily plants do I need?

At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 10 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is daylily poisonous to cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to cats. Extremely poisonous to cats: eating even a small amount, including pollen, can cause kidney failure. Not considered poisonous to dogs or people.

It is not recorded as toxic to dogs.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like daylily?

These come closest to doing what daylily does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Coreopsis 'Full Moon': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to mid September, yellow, not orange.
• Coneflower 'Cheyenne Spirit': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 6 in narrower, flowers late June to early September.
• Gloriosa daisy: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 8 in narrower, flowers late June to mid September.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What flowers after daylily?

Daylily is over by early August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
• Hosta 'Guacamole': from early August to late August, 24 in tall.

What does daylily look like in winter?

Daylily dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.