When Do Hemerocallis Fulva Daylilies Bloom?

Hemerocallis fulva, or tawny daylily, is a native of Asia that has been naturalized in North America since the first colonists left for the West. Its period of bloom is dependent on climate and cultivar.

History

• H. fulva was one of the first plants carried from the Old World to the New World by English colonists and has provided ancestry for dozens of hybrids. It was one of the "parent" lilies used by A.B. Stout, the great 20th century hybridizer.

Identification

• H. fulva varieties range from bright to dusky orange with some red and dusky rose-colored cultivars. They are diurnal triploid plants; plants bloom during the day and have three sets of chromosomes.

Season

• The plants bloom in early to mid-summer. H. fulva "Europa," the original tawny daylily, blooms for several weeks beginning in early June. H. fulva var. sempervirens finishes the fulvus daylily season, blooming from late July until the first frost.

Period

• Tawny daylilies bloom for a few weeks but, with enough sunlight and water, cultivars like Kwanso and sempervirens can bloom for several months.

Considerations

• Flowers are borne on long stems called scapes and each flower blooms for approximately one day. Later cultivars have more buds on scapes and bloom longer.