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Hemerocallis altissima

Common name:		Family:	Hemerocallidaceae
Author:	Stout.	Botanical references:	266
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component[205]. (This report does not make clear what it means by blanching, it could be excluding light from the growing shoots or immersing in boiling water[K].)
Range:	E. Asia - S. China.
Habitat:	Forest margins, grassy fields and slopes along valleys, from near sea level to 2000 metres[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	altissima = tallest, highest;

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1.2m. It is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked[205]. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K].
Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked[177]. The tubular flowers are about 5cm long and 7.5cm in diameter[205]. The flower buds contain about 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A and 3.1% protein[205].
Root - raw or cooked[205]. The taste is somewhat like radishes but not so sharp[205].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antidote; Diuretic.

The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning[205].
A tea made from the boiled roots is used as a diuretic[205].

Other Uses

Weaving.

The tough dried foliage is plaited into cord and used for making footwear[205].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[1], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil[205]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Succeeding in sun or shade, it produces more flowers in a sunny position though these flowers can be shorter-lived in very sunny positions[205]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200].
According to the Flora of China, this species is no more than a synonym for H. citrina[266]. It is, however, seen as a distinct species in other treatments and so is maintained here as a separate species[K].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
The plant forms pseudobulbs, these stand vertically in the ground[205].
Individual flowers are very short-lived, they open in the late afternoon and fade in the following morning[205].
Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[1].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].
The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow in the middle of spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid and good, pot up the seedlings in individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[K].
Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[200]. Division is very quick and easy, succeeding at almost any time of the year[K]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[205] Erhardt. W. Hemerocallis. Day Lilies. Batsford. 1992 ISBN 0-7134-7065-8
A comprehensive book on the species with a short section on their uses.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Hemerocallis citrina

Juerg Plodeck (juerg.plodeck@cp.novartis.com) Tue Oct 26 22:36:18 1999

What I missed in your article is that the H. citrina is the normally used plant in China for eating its flowers. The flowers will be harvested shortly before they open (they open in the evening and flower in the night). The flowers of H. citrina smell a little bit a citron, that is the reason why it got that name. I believe if you could taste that flower you would be even more enthusiastic about that flower than about all the others of the Hemerocallis species.

Cross references: Plants: Hemerocallis citrina. Genera: Hemerocallis. Web-pages: Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies..

Hemerocallis citrina

() Tue Jun 27 01:46:20 2000

Hemerocallis are not hallucinogenic! That is a mistaken idea. But eating too many leaves may cause loose bowels.When I was the horticulturist for Daylily Discounters, our yearly garden tour would feature fresh buds dipped in batter and fried with a dip of tomatoe chutney. Sincerely, Douglas Glick Horticulturist

Cross references: Plants: Hemerocallis citrina. Genera: Hemerocallis. Web-pages: Hemerocallis Species - The Day Lilies..

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