Hemerocallis Burning Daylight - Daylily

Hemerocallis Burning Daylight displays an abundance of large, fragrant flowers, which are light orange in colour and particularly bright.  With pleated and undulating petals, this variety is late flowering and has deciduous foliage. A vigorous plant.

Hemerocallis 'Burning Daylight' belongs to the Liliaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars derived from hardy perennial plants with deciduous or semi-evergreen foliage, native to central Europe and temperate regions of Asia. This variety is diploid. It forms a clump that will reach 70 cm (28in) in height, with a spread of 60 cm (24in). The individual, fragrant flowers last no more than a day, but they continuously renew themselves on sturdy stems above thick, linear and deciduous foliage, from July to early September. Single flowers measure 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6in) in diameter. Daylilies are plants with short rhizomes and fleshy roots.

Daylilies are often called 'the perfect perennial plant' because of their vibrant colours, ability to tolerate drought, and thrive in many different climate zones while requiring little maintenance. Very easy to grow, daylilies are resistant to pests and diseases, so there is no need to treat them. These plants do well in both shade and sun: 4 to 5 hours of daily sunlight is sufficient. Plant them in good ordinary garden soil that does not retain water permanently, especially in winter. They will quickly thrive and spread. It is preferable to plant them between September and April, burying the collar 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) below the surface.  The average planting distance between two plants is 70 to 80 cm (28 to 32in) (30 cm (12in) for dwarf varieties).  During the first two months after planting, it is good to keep the soil moist. After that, daylilies require no further care, except for cutting back the faded stems to ground level. Apply a little fertiliser in early spring. Some daylilies can be a bit invasive, so do not hesitate to divide the clumps every four or five years, preferably in autumn, after flowering.

There are a large number of daylily varieties. The smaller ones (30 cm (12in) tall) are excellent border plants along paths or in flowerbeds. They can also be planted in clumps in rock gardens. Larger daylilies (up to 1 m (3ft)) blend wonderfully with other perennial plants. Plant them in generous clumps at the back of flowerbeds. Daylilies are surprisingly underused as cut flowers, even though they continue to produce new flowers on cut stems for several days.  Summer bulbs can be planted alongside daylilies. Gladioli find excellent natural support in this dense plant, so staking is no longer necessary. The same goes for lilies, whose subtly shaped flowers are enhanced here. Plant with Oriental varieties, whose trailing flowers will perfectly complement open daylily blooms. Of course, all garden plants are welcome, especially gaillardias, lychnis, bee balm, goldenrod, and phlox. A mix of delphiniums, daisies, lupins... always looks great. Don't forget about grasses, with their soft and light habit. On a balcony or terrace, large pots or wooden boxes with a minimum depth of 30 cm (12in) should be used. In that case, prefer dwarf varieties.

The name Hemerocallis, comes from the Greek hemero: a day and kallo: beauty. It can therefore poetically be called "beauty of a day". Many varieties have been developed in Japan, where it is very popular.