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Asphodelaceae FAMILY

Hemerocallis middendorffii

Hemerocallis middendorffii

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

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Succeeds in most soils[2], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil and a sunny position[3] but tolerating partial shade[4]. Plants flower less freely in a shady position though the flowers can last longer in such a position[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[2]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[5]. Hemerocallis middendorffii is treated here as consisting of four varieties, some of which have previously been treated here as distinct species. These varieties are:- Hemerocallis middendorffii esculenta (Koidz.) Ohwi. Native to central Japan (Honshu). Hemerocallis middendorffii exaltata (Stout) M.Hotta. Found only on Tobishima and Sado Islands in Japan Hemerocallis middendorffii longibracteata Z.T.Xiong. Native to northeast China (eastern Jilin). Hemerocallis middendorffii middendorffii. Found over almost all of the entire range of the species. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[5]. Individual flowers are short-lived, but the plant produces a succession of blooms and also flowers again in late summer[1]. The plant has a fibrous root system that does not extend far[1]. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved but then form large clumps[5, 6]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[7]. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[5].

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]. Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[5]. 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+middendorffii>

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]Popular Hardy Perennials. — Sanders. T. W. · Collingridge · 1926 · ISBN - ↩︎A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.
  4. [4]The Garden. Volume 112. — RHS. · Royal Horticultural Society · 1987 · ISBN - ↩︎Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.
  5. [5]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.
  6. [6]Perennials. Volumes 1 and 2. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1991 · ISBN 0-330-30936-9 ↩︎Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
  7. [7]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.
  8. [8]Flora of Japan. (English translation) — Ohwi. G. · Smithsonian Institution · 1965 · ISBN - ↩︎The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]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.
  10. [10]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.
  11. [11]Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. — Brooklyn Botanic Garden · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 1986 · ISBN - ↩︎A small booklet packed with information.
  12. [12]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.
  13. [13]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  14. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎