Lemon daylily

Questions about lemon daylily

Does lemon daylily need sun or shade?

Lemon 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 lemon 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 lemon daylily flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to mid June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

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 lemon 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 (80 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many lemon 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 lemon daylily poisonous to cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to cats. Extremely poisonous to cats: every part, including the pollen, can cause kidney failure. Not considered poisonous to dogs or people.

It is not recorded as toxic to dogs.

Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like lemon daylily?

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

• Globeflower: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in narrower, wants moist soil.
• Coreopsis 'Full Moon': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late June to mid September.
• Golden Alexanders: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in narrower, wants moist soil.

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

Will lemon daylily spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads slowly by runners into a wider patch, and has escaped from gardens in a few places. Divide it every few years.

What flowers after lemon daylily?

Lemon daylily is over by mid June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Yarrow: from mid June to late August, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does lemon daylily look like in winter?

Lemon 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.