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Hemerocallis forrestii

Common name:		Family:	Hemerocallidaceae
Author:	Diels.	Botanical references:	200, 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 - W. China in Yunnan Province.
Habitat:	Dry ridges and rocky banks around 250 metres[205]. Forests, grassy slopes and limestone cliffs at elevations of 2300 - 3200 metres in SW Sichuan and NW Yunnan[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen perennial growing to 0.4m. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 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, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K].
Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked.
Root - raw or cooked. The roots are swollen and conspicuously enlarged at each end[200]. The roots are slightly fleshy, with a large, globose, swollen, tuberous part near the tip[266].

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. 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]. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200].
Some reports say that this species is not hardy in Britain[205], whilst another says that it is hardy to zone 5 (tolerating quite heavy frosts[200]. There is a plant at Kew Botanical Gardens that bears this name and appears to be fully hardy, growing near the base of a west-facing brick wall[K]. It is possible that the plant is actually a hybrid H. forrestii x H. middendorffii[205].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
Individual flowers are very short-lived, usually withering within 24 hours of opening. The plants produce a succession of blooms over a period of a month or more[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. Prick out the seedlings into 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

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[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]).

[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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