Hemerocallis

Yellow day lily with narrow leaves is an old traditional perennial in Finland. In Finnish it is also called the lemon lily. Day lilies are not related to lilies but they belong to the different Family. Their scientific name Hemerocallis comes from Creek and means being beautiful just for one day.

Yellow day lily blooms in June - early July with delicate lemon-yellow and citrus-scented lily-like flowers which form a cymose inflorescence at the top of the thin flower stem. A single flower fades fast according to its name but the new ones keep appearing next to it. The long flower stems rise above the thick clump of leaves.

Yellow day lily is an easy perennial and its clumps are showy even without flowers. It can be grown in a partial shade and in Mustila it can be found from the Pähkinärinne (Hazelnut slope). In China its flower buds are eaten deep-fried and in soups.

This day lily species (H. esculenta) blooms in June or July depending on its origin. It has orange-yellow slighly scented funnel-shaped flowers and one flower lasts only a day, this gives the genus its name day lily. The flowering period is however longer since new flowers appear every day. The latter part of the scientific name esculenta means eatable and daylilies have been grown as an vegetable for at least a couple of thousand years in Asia.

Today day lilies are ornamental perennials which are bred continuously to get novel hybrids and varieties. The color scheme of their flowers is wide and two- or even three-colored hybrids exists. Also the variation of the height and flowering-time is great.

H. esculenta forms a large clump when its happy and and the flower stems can be one meter heigh. It is originated from Eastern Asia and it grows there in the mountain meadows and forest edge so it can also flower in the semi-shade.