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Asphodelaceae FAMILY

Hemerocallis thunbergii

Hemerocallis thunbergii

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]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[5]. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[5]. They increase by means of runners[1] and form loose spreading clumps[PFAF]. The roots are not swollen[6]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[6]. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk[5]. The fragrant flowers are very short-lived, they open in the late afternoon and die in the morning[5, 1]. However, plants produce a succession of flowers for several weeks of the summer, each scape carrying between 4 and 20 blooms[1].

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+thunbergii>

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]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.
  7. [7]Flora of Japan. (English translation) — Ohwi. G. · Smithsonian Institution · 1965 · ISBN - ↩︎The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]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.
  9. [9]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.
  10. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎