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Hemerocallis fulva

Hemerocallis fulva: Flower
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Hemerocallis fulva: Plant
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Common name:	Common Day Lily	Family:	Hemerocallidaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic[127, 137]. 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:	Of uncertain origin. A garden escape in Britain.
Habitat:	Common and widespread in the wild[205], probably as an escape from cultivation.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	5	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	H. fulva var. kwanso[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Chin Chen Ts'Ai [E], Common Day Lily [L], Hsuan [E], Hsuan Ts'Ao [E], Huang Hua Ts'Ai [E], I Nan [E], Lu Ts'Ung [E], Orange Day-lily [B], Orange Daylily [P], Sina-Kanzo [E], Tawny Daylily [L], Wang Yu [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	fulva = tawny
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China Egypt
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds	From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
	Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive.

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 5/5 for edibility and 2/5 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

Meadow, Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Ground Cover.

Cultivar 'Flore Pleno': Meadow, Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Ground Cover.
Cultivar 'Green Kwanso': Meadow, Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Ground Cover.
Cultivar 'Kwanso Variegata': Meadow, Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Flowers Leaves Root.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked[85, 116, 179, 183]. An asparagus or celery substitute. An excellent sweet tasting vegetable[179, K], though some caution is recommended[127, 137]. The leaves need to be eaten whilst still very young since they quickly become fibrous[K].
Flowers - raw or cooked[62, 100]. The petals are thick and crunchy, making very pleasant eating raw, with a nice sweetness at the base because of the nectar[K]. The flowers can also be dried and used as a thickener in soups etc[62, 183]. In this case, they are picked when somewhat withered and closed[85]. A rich source of iron[218].
Flower buds - raw or cooked[62, 100, 105, 116]. A pea-like flavour[85]. Can be dried and used as a relish[178]. The dried flower contains about 9.3% protein. 25% fat!?, 60% carbohydrate (rich in sugar), 0.9% ash. It is rich in vitamin A[179].
Tubers - raw or cooked[183]. A nutty flavour[62]. Young tubers are best, though the central portion of older tubers is also good[85].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anodyne Anthelmintic Antidote Antiemetic Antispasmodic Blood purifier Cancer Depurative Diuretic Febrifuge Laxative Sedative.

Diuretic, febrifuge, laxative (mild)[62, 178, 205].
The flowers are anodyne, antiemetic, antispasmodic, depurative, febrifuge and sedative[218]. In China they are used as an anodyne for women in childbirth[240]. An extract of the flowers is used as a blood purifier[240].
The rhizome has shown antimicrobial acivity, it is also tuberculostatic and has an action against the parasitic worms that cause filariasis[279]. It is used in Korea to treat oppilation, jaundice, constipation and pneumonia[279]. The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning[205]. The root also has a folk history of use in the treatment of cancer - extracts from the roots have shown antitumour activity[218].
A tea made from the boiled roots is used as a diuretic[205, 218].

Other Uses

Ground cover Weaving.

The tough dried foliage is plaited into cord and used for making footwear[205].
Plants form a spreading clump and are suitable for ground cover when spaced about 90cm apart each way[208]. The dead leaves should be left on the ground in the winter to ensure effective cover[208]. The cultivar 'Kwanso Flore Pleno' has been especially mentioned[208].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[1], including dry ones, though it prefers a rich moist soil[111] and a sunny position but tolerating partial shade[88, 111]. Plants flower less freely in a shady position though the flowers can last longer in such a position[205]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[1]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200].
This species is hardy to about -20° c[187].
Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[200]. The roots have spindle-shaped swellings and spread freely, the plant can become invasive[205].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is cultivated in China and Japan for its edible flowers and leaves, there are many named varieties[200]. Individual flowers are short-lived, opening in the morning and withering in the evening. The plant, however, produces a succession of flowers over a period of about 6 weeks[205]. The sterile cultivar 'Kwanzo' has double flowers, it has been especially mentioned for these flowers which are said to be crunchy with a nutty aftertaste[137]. 'Flore Pleno' is another form with double-flowers that have a delicious taste[K]. The sterile cultivar 'Europa' is very vigorous, with long stolons, and each piece of root is capable of growing into a new plant[205]. This cultivar, which is the form usually supplied from nurseries, succeeds in lawns and has even been known to grow through tarmac[205].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200]. Many forms of this plant are sterile triploids, probably of garden origin, and do not set seed[205]. The pollen, however, is fertile and can be used to fertilize other plants[205].
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.

Cultivars

'Kwanso Variegata': This form produces an abundance of double flowers. It is vigorous and grows about 90cm tall. Very similar to the cultivar 'Kwanzo', differing in its leaves which are strongly variegated with white stripes[205]. It is not as hardy as 'Flore Pleno'.
'Green Kwanso' 'Kwanzo': This form produces an abundance of double flowers. It is vigorous and grows about 90cm tall. Derived in cultivation from the variegated 'Kwanso'. It is not as hardy as 'Flore Pleno', a cultivar with which it is often confused[205]. The plant is a sterile triploid[205].
'Flore Pleno': This form produces an abundance of double flowers up to 15cm long[205]. It is a vigorous plant, growing about 75cm tall. Often sold in Britain as the cultivar 'Kwanzo', it is in fact quite different from that plant[205].

Suppliers

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

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants 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]).

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[88] RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[116] Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986
A small booklet packed with information.

[127] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 7. 1985 - 1986. Royal Horticultural Society 1985
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants..

[137] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 9. 1986 - 1987. Royal Horticultural Society 1986
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including Carya spp and Crocus sativus.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[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.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

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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