Daylily (Hemerocallis)

Daylily is a gorgeous looking flower that is edible and highly delectable. These flowers are considered as herbs for cooking purposes. This east-Asian edible flower is the mother species of innumerable cultivars of the same origin. The different cultivars differ in form, color and blooming season. But all the different cultivars find their use only in cuisines. Some of these cultivars are poisonous though.

Read below all about this amazing flower species.

Daylily Scientific Name

This edible flower or herb is scientifically known as hemerocallis.

Daylily Description

Daylilies are gorgeous flowers. They look as great as they taste.

Flower: The flowers are basically tepals with midribs in all of them. The flowers have 3 petal and 3 sepals. The throat of the flower which is in the centre core is usually of a different color than rest of the flower. The flowers have 6 stamens with two-lobed anthers in each.

Crown: These flowers do not have a prominent bulb. They have a crown that acts as the link from where the root-system, leaves and flowers start. If the crown gets damaged then the plant dies.

Leaves: The plant has long and green shoot-like leaves.

Roots: Roots start growing from the crown point of the flower. These roots are pale brownish in color. Sometimes they have thick and fleshy swollen parts where their nutrition is stored.

Daylily PicturePicture 1 – Daylily
Source – heritagemuseumsandgardens.org

Daylily Distribution

Daylilies originally belong to Eurasia. It is found in Japan, China and Korea in vogue.

Daylily History

These edible flowers record to ages back. Their edible and medicinal usages have been noted since ancient days. This flower was mentioned n the Chinese book called Materia Medica for the first time in 656 A.D. it originated from East Asia. It is assumed that daylilies were first introduced to Europe in 1500 A.D.

Daylily Cultivation

Sowing:

  • The soil needs to be loosened before sowing the plant. This will allow easy absorption of oxygen and water. The holes need to be dug big and deep enough to place the pant’s root well inside. The root top needs to be 1 inch deep inside the soil.

Watering:

  • Newly planted daylilies need regular watering till it settles down well inside the soil.
  • After settling down and the roots gone deep within the soil, regular watering is not required.
  • Only if the climate is extremely dry then water the plants regularly.

Temperature :

  • These plants can be kept in light shade or sun. They need full sunlight for at least 6 hours.

Caring:

  • The daylilies can be nurtured with some fertilizers in spring season and if required then again in late summer.
  • Maintain the plants and its surroundings properly. Weeds should not be let to grow on its surface.
  • Dress the plant regularly to remove the dead leaves and flowers. During late autumn the leaves need to be trimmed. The dead leaves can be put on the soil surface to prevent cold entering the root.

Harvesting:

  • Since the daylily flowers bloom for just one day, so they need to be harvested on the very day the flower blooms.

Daylily Edible Usage

Daylilies are very common in south-eastern and eastern Asian cuisines. They are mostly used as a nutritious herb in many dishes. These herbs are used fresh and dried also. They are used in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Pictures of DaylilyPicture 2 – Daylily Picture
Source – thetruthsource.org

Daylily Health Benefits

Daylilies are as much beneficial for health as a treat to sight. Due to the nutrient content in this herb it is very healthy to consume.

  • It helps in detoxifying entire body system.
  • This herb is known to help reducing symptoms of red urine.
  • Te flower lessens hemorrhoids.
  • Consumption of daylily in proportionate amount helps curing insomnia.
  • This herb helps reducing jaundice symptoms.

Daylily Nutrition Facts

Nutrient Amount
Calories 42
Fat 0.4 g
Protein 2 g
Phosphorus 176 mg
Calcium 87 mg
Sodium 24 mg
Iron 1.2 mg
Vitamin A 3000 I.U.
vitamin C 88 mg
Thiamin 0.16 mg
Riboflavin 0.21 mg
Niacin 0.8 mg
Potassium 170 mg

Daylily Side Effects

Daylily herbs are undoubtedly very nutritious but like all consuming things these herbs also have some side effect.

  • These plant leaves are known to contain hallucinogenic properties.
  • If anyone is allergic to the any of the nutrients that these herbs contain, then the person should consult experts’ opinions on this herb’s consumption.
  • Over consumption of anything can be harmful anyway. Daylilies are no exception to this norm.

Daylily Uses

Medicinal Use

  1. Daylily has some medicinal property which can cure arsenic poisoning effect. That is why they are used as an antidote to it.
  2. Extracts of this herb is also used as anti-tumor.
  3. Ancient folk tales suggest that these herbs were used in cancer treatment.

Other Uses

  1. These plants are good for landscaping. They are very effective in sweeping masses.
  2. These plants can prevent brush fires. Since their roots are deep merged in water, they put down the brush fire.
  3. They can prevent soil erosion if planted in slopes.
  4. This tremendously beautiful flower finds admiration amidst floral bouquets and flower vases.

Daylily Availability

Daylilies can tolerate all seasons and bloom all the way to its full glory. Different cultivars of this herb bloom in different seasons.

Daylily During Pregnancy

No recorded side effect or extra health benefit of consumption of daylily is there. But due to hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy the body reacts in different ways to many things. It is advisable to consult experts’ suggestions on consumption of this herb in the pregnancy duration.

Daylily Storage

This herb is consumed both fresh and dried. So there is no particular way or norms regarding its storage.

Daylily Interesting Facts

Daylilies are tasty, nutritious and are interestingly in common culture in eastern Asian countries.

  • In a common local omen culture expecting women are asked to wear daylilies around their waist in order to give birth to a male child.
  • This herb has many cultivars and their sub-cultivars, all of which count up to more than 1000 in number.
  • Some cultivars of this edible flower are poisonous.

Daylily Pictures

Check out some amazing pictures of this awe-inspiring beautiful edible flower below.

Images of DaylilyPicture 3 – Daylily Image
Source – photo-dict.faqs.org

Photos of DaylilyPicture 4 – Daylily Photo
Source – gardensplus.ca

Reference:

http://www.mikesbackyardgarden.org/daylilygen.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylily

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/daylily/

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hemerocallis/

https://www.gardenguides.com/article-daylilies.html

https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJB/article-full-text-pdf/D332F8566038

https://www.gardendesign.com/flowers/daylilies.html

http://www.gardenstew.com/about371.html

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