PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Asphodelaceae FAMILY

Hemerocallis fulva aurantiaca

Hemerocallis fulva aurantiaca

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component[1]. (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[PFAF].)

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Perennial
Growth—

Succeeds in most soils[2], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeding in sun or shade, it produces more flowers in a sunny position though these flowers can be shorter-lived in very sunny positions[1]. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[2]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[3]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[3]. The roots have spindle-shaped swellings[1]. The cultivar 'Major' is smaller than the type species, but has larger flowers, it is sometimes cultivated for these edible flowers in Japan[1]. There is some doubt as to whether this cultivar really is a form of H. aurantiaca[1]. Individual flowers are very short-lived, opening in the morning and withering in the evening[1]. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[2]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[4]. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[3]. There is some doubt as to the origins of this plant, it might have arisen in cultivation at Kew[1]. It is cultivated in Japan, where it is believed to have come from China[5]. It is quite possibly a hybrid since it is sterile unless fertilized by another species[4].

Propagation

Seed - sow in the middle of spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid and good. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[PFAF]. Seed is only set if the plant is fertilized by another species, thus seedlings will not be true to the species type[4]. Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[3]. Division is very quick and easy, succeeding at almost any time of the year[PFAF]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hemerocallis+fulva+aurantiaca>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Hemerocallis. Day Lilies. — Erhardt. W. · Batsford. · 1992 · ISBN 0-7134-7065-8 ↩︎A comprehensive book on the species with a short section on their uses.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  5. [5]Flora of Japan. (English translation) — Ohwi. G. · Smithsonian Institution · 1965 · ISBN - ↩︎The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
  6. [6]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  7. [7]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎