Daylily Information

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Daylily Terms

What are Daylilies?

The Daylily is a member of the lily family Liliaceae.
Lilies are in the plant genus Lilium.
Daylilies are in the genus Hemerocallis.
Its botanical name, Hemerocallis, derives from two Greek words meaning "beauty" and "day".

Each flower on a Daylily lasts only one day but there are many flower buds on each daylily flower stalk, and many stalks in each plant clump.

Even though the individual flower lasts only for one day, the total flowering period of a clump is usually several weeks long and many varieties have more than one flowering period a year.

Ancient Chinese used the plant's roots, leaves and flowers for food.  They also use the roots and crown for medical purposes such as a pain reliever and diuretic.

What is the difference between a diploid and a tetraploid?

Plants all have a basic complement of chromosomes.
Most plants are diploid they have two identical sets of chromosomes in each cell.
Polyploids are plants with more than two sets of chromosomes.
A tetraploid is only one of a whole series of polyploids.
Triploids have three sets of chromosomes, tetraploids have four sets of chromosomes

What are the visual differences?

Tetraploid: The plants tend to have more substance, with larger flowers. The colors are more intense.

Diploid: They have exquisite flower form, grace, and color and are easier to cross than tetraploids.

Many diploid daylilies have been converted to tetraploids, thus advancing the tetraploid lines.

Dormant, Semi-evergreen, Evergreen

Dormant:  Is a plant that stops all vegetative growth, sets resting buds in the crown, and loses its leaves for the winter, regardless of the climate in which it is growing.

Evergreen:  Daylily having leaves that remain green throughout the year, unless frozen severely. Evergreen daylilies do not set resting buds.

Semi-Evergreen:  Intermediate foliage behavior that is not adequately described as simply dormant or evergreen.