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Amur daylily enchants with its natural charisma and provides bright accents in the garden, on the edge of the pond or bed.
Profile of Amur daylily:
Scientific name: Hemerocallis middendorffii
Plant family: asphodel family (Asphodelacea)
Other names: Middendorff’s day-lily
Sowing time: autumn
Planting time: early spring or autumn
Flowering period: May to July
Location: sunny to partially shady
Soil quality: sandy to loamy, nutrient rich, humus rich
These information are for temperate climate!
Use in: flowerbeds, individual position, group planting, planters, planting pots, pond planting, borders, flower garden, natural garden, water garden
Winter hardiness: hardy, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4 (-32 °C / -25 °F)
Bee and insect friendly: Yes
Plant characteristics and classification of Amur daylily
Plant order, origin and occurrence of Amur daylily
The wild species from the genus of daylilies (Hemerocallis) originates from northern Japan. There Hemerocallis middendorffii grows on meadows, mountain slopes, light forests and on the edge of bushes. For over 100 years it has been a welcome guest in our gardens. In Asia, Amur daylily is cultivated for its edible flowers and shoots. It belongs to the asphodel family (Asphodelacea).
Characteristics of Amur daylily
Plant
Amur daylily is a deciduous, horticultural perennial that grows bushy. Typical are short rhizomes with fleshy roots. The height of growth is 50 to 60 centimeters (20 to 24 in).
Leaves
The linear leaves spread out from a basic leaf crest in an elegant curve towards the sides. The leaves reach a length of up to 50 centimeters (20 in).
Blossoms
Between May and July the six-fold flowers with rounded petals appear on upright stems in the shape of a broad funnel. They shine in an intense golden or warm orange tone and have a pleasant scent. A second flowering is possible under good conditions. The flowers are highly popular with insects.
Fruit
After flowering, Amur daylily form capsule fruits.
Amur daylily – cultivation and care
Location
The location for Amur daylily should be sunny to partially shady, but the flowering intensity increases with the sunshine. The species is very hardy.
Soil
The Middendorffs daylily likes a soil that is well supplied with nutrients. Dry periods are mainly tolerated with well-established perennials, but a fresh site is preferred.
Planting
Before and after flowering Middendorffs daylily can be planted most successfully. The roots should be slightly deeper in the soil than before in the pot. But only a little bit, otherwise the flowering will be delayed or fail completely.
Care
In spring, Amur daylily reacts with greater blooming to a dose of compost. It is best to cut out withered flowers as soon as possible, as the seed formation is at the expense of the flowering. The unsightly leaves can be cut back to hand width in autumn. Otherwise, leave it until the next spring as frost protection for the rootstock.
Dividing
The yellow-flowering Amur daylily is very long-lived, so that one usually has to reckon with diminishing flowering pleasure only after a few years. In this case, divide the rootstock of the plant and replant vital parts.
Propagation
Amur daylily can easily be propagated by sowing. The seeds must be stratified (exposed to cold) to stimulate germination. The new plants are always good for a surprise, because they vary very much in shape. It is much less complicated to propagate daylilies by division. Then the young plants also correspond to the “mother plant”.
Diseases and pests
The Middendorffs daylily is normally a healthy perennial, snails only nibble on young shoots. Thrips leave unsightly marks on flowers and leaves. Swollen buds can be an indication of larvae of the daylily gall midge, which likes to infest early flowering daylilies like Hemerocallis middendorffii. Further indication: The buds are paler than normal, furthermore they appear clearly shortened. Mostly they rot before they open. Infected buds are best removed immediately and disposed of in residual waste.
Wintering
Amur daylily is very hardy down to -32 °C / -25 °F. You can leave the foliage as a winter protection. Potted plants need winter protection around the roots.
Use in the garden
The Middendorffs daylily sets attractive accents on the edge of a pond as well as in the border, in natural plantings or at an appropriate distance from the edge of a wood. Particularly in the bed you can combine it with planting partners such as black-eyed Susan, sneezeweed, crimson beebalm, sage, yarrow or coneflower. Apart, plantings with cubeseed iris or Virginia spiderwort with similarly shaped leaves also look nice.
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