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 Picture      Hemerocallis001.jpg  Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) v2.jpg 

NAME: Day Lily

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Hemerocallis Fulva / Asphodelaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  tiger lily

CONDITIONS: sun
 

PARTS:

EDIBLE cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

  

 

 

 

Shoots

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520young

pepper/celery

 

Spring

Leaves

   

Spring

Stalk/Stem

 

 

 

 

Buds

  

pea

RAW/COOK

Summer

Flowers

 

 

RAW/COOK

Summer

Fruits

 

 

 

 

Pods

  

 

    

Seeds

 

 

 

 

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Roots

nutty

RAW/COOK

Fall

Bark

 

 

 

 

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT:  The best time to eat is in the early spring when the shoots are young, but be sure to identify (wild only, not hybrids) and prepare correctly. Daylilies can give a weird back taste, so it might be best to boil roots, shoots, and stalk and throw off the water once. // "The leaves need to be eaten whilst still very young since they quickly become fibrous. Flowers - The petals are thick and crunchy, making very pleasant eating raw, with a nice sweetness at the base because of the nectar. The flowers can also be dried and used as a thickener in soups etc. In this case, they are picked when somewhat withered and closed. A rich source of iron. Flower buds can be dried and used as a relish. Young tubers are best, though the central portion of older tubers is also good.” (1)

 

CAUTION: Also see links in yellow below. “Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component. (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.)”(1) Can cause gastric distress if not properly identified and prepared - https://www.chelseagreen.com/2018/daylily-dangers-and-delights

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  The dried flower contains about 9.3% protein. 25% fat, 60% carbohydrate (rich in sugar), 0.9% ash. It is rich in vitamin A. Also a: Anodyne;  Anthelmintic;  Antidote;  Antiemetic;  Antispasmodic;  Blood purifier;  Cancer;  Depurative;  Diuretic;  Febrifuge;  Laxative;  Sedative.(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  Cultivars and Tiger Lily.

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES:  Shoots and leaves of iris look very similar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_(plant)

 

OTHER USES:  “Weaving. The tough dried foliage is plaited into cord and used for making footwear. Plants form a spreading clump and are suitable for ground cover when spaced about 90cm apart each way. The dead leaves should be left on the ground in the winter to ensure effective cover. The cultivar 'Kwanso Flore Pleno' has been especially mentioned.”(1)

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Hemerocallis+fulva
  2. https://www.eattheweeds.com/daylily-just-cloning-around-2
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemerocallis_fulva
  4. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/day-lily.html  (good photos)
  5. https://plighttofreedom.com/day-lily
  6. https://honest-food.net/dining-on-daylilies (recipes)
  7. https://chestnutherbs.com/delectable-daylily (recipes)
  8. https://delishably.com/vegetable-dishes/Should-You-Eat-Your-Daylilies
  9. https://www.chelseagreen.com/2018/daylily-dangers-and-delights
  10. https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/garden-to-table/daylilies-can-be-delicious