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Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus

Common name:	Yellow Day Lily	Family:	Hemerocallidaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	50, 200
Synonyms:	Hemerocallis flava (L.)
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:	Original habitat is obscure, possibly China. An occasional garden escape in Britain.
Habitat:	Rocky mountain woods, wet meadows and riversides on foothills of the S.E. Alps in Europe[50].
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. lilio-asphodelus[E] H. lilioasphodelus var. flava[B,P] H. lilioasphodelus var. major[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Daylily [E], Hsuan Ts'Ao [E], Yellow Day-lily [B], Yellow Daylily [P,L],
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China Egypt Europe

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant 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.

Edible Uses

Flowers Leaves Root.

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked like asparagus or celery[85, 105, 183]. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[K].
Flower buds - raw or cooked. They taste somewhat like green beans[85, 105]. They contain about 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A and 3.1% protein[205].
Flowers - raw or cooked[85, K]. They can be dried and used as a thickener in soups etc[183]. If the flowers are picked just as they start to wither they can be used as a condiment[85]. The flowers are a traditional food in China where they are steamed and then dried[266].
Root - cooked[85, 105]. They taste like a blend of sweet corn and salsify[183]. We have found them to be tender but fairly bland with a slight sweetness[K]. The swollen roots are quite small and are only really worthwhile using if the plant is being dug up for divisions or some other reason[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antidote Cancer Diuretic.

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].

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 45cm apart each way[208]. The dead leaves should be left on the ground in the winter to ensure effective cover[208].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[1], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil and a sunny position[111] 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].
Plants are very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -25° c[187].
A very vigorous plant, spreading by underground rhizomes[1]. The plant has a fibrous root system with occasional spindle-like swellings[205].
Cultivated as a food and medicinal plant in Japan[127].
Individual flowers are short-lived, they open at night and last for 20 - 76 hours. The plant produces a succession of blooms over a period of about 2 months[205]. The flowers are fragrant[205]. The flowers have a honeysuckle-like scent and this can pervade the air for a considerable distance when warmed by the summer sunshine[245].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[200].
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.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a honeysuckle-like scent and this can pervade the air for a considerable distance when warmed by the summer sunshine.

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

[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.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Hemerocallis flava (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany 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]).

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[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.

[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.

[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..

[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.

[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.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[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..

Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus

Mary McKay (maryb796@aol.com) Thu Feb 13 22:31:48 2003

I would so appreciate if you could tell me where I would be able to purchase the daylily. I live in North Texas. A catalog to order from would be wonderful. Thank you

Link: heritage daylily species Where to Purchase?????????

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