Tawny daylily

Questions about tawny daylily

Does tawny daylily need sun or shade?

Tawny daylily grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does tawny 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 tawny daylily flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to late July. 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 tawny daylily be planted?

24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many tawny 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.

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

What can I plant instead of tawny daylily?

Tawny daylily is listed as invasive in parts of North America, so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job, and are native:

• Bee balm 'Jacob Cline': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to mid August, red, not orange.
• Swamp milkweed: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; pink or white, not orange, wants moist soil.
• Woodland sunflower: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid July to early September, yellow, not orange.

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

Do deer eat tawny daylily?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will tawny daylily spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads aggressively by underground runners into dense stands and is very hard to remove. Listed as invasive in many eastern and midwestern states. Check local guidance before planting.

It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.

What flowers after tawny daylily?

Tawny daylily is over by late July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden phlox: from mid July to early September, 3½ ft tall (a recorded partner).
• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Tiger lily: from late July to late August, 4 ft tall.

What does tawny daylily look like in winter?

Tawny 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.

Is tawny daylily good for bees and butterflies?

Tawny daylily is visited by butterflies and hummingbirds.