Hemerocallis fulva is my favourite with its bright orange colour, although there are thousands of cultivars to choose from and a whole range of colours too. To me they look great in any weather, brightening up even the gloomiest of days.
It is a clump forming, perennial plant which pretty much looks after itself, low maintenance and very hardy. It dies back in winter and emerges with fresh,bright green leaves in spring, followed by the long stalks bearing multiple flowers in early summer.
The individual flowers last typically no longer than a day, hence it's common name of daylily.
Have you ever considered using it for cut flowers? No, I hear you say, the flowers only last a day but you'd be surprised. As there are multiple flowers on each stem the flowers open in succession and not all at once so as one dies off overnight another opens the next day and so it goes on. They make excellent cut flowers (as do true lilies) and as they are so abundant you can have an endless supply of fresh cut flowers for your home for up to six weeks and that's some saving!
Did you know that the flowers, buds and tubers can also be eaten too, often used dry or fresh in Asian cooking, where they are known as golden needles?
An all round champion plant and that's why I've chosen today to celebrate it.
