Daylilies are an almost indestructible, all-purpose decorative plant. Erik Helland of Landscape Garden Center in Sioux Falls says daylilies can be great for either a yard or a garden.
“The thing about them is that there's so many different colors and so many different varieties - and when I say varieties, what I mean is there's different traits to them,” said Helland. “Some of them will have a little wider grass blade or leaf blade. Some of them are going to have a narrower leaf blade. Some of them are going to be really tall and really big. And some of them, the flower itself might be small but very, very prolific (in terms of flowers.) Whereas other ones are going to be more of a singular flower but the flower is going to be massive. So, there's so many different kinds and sizes and sometimes you'll find the same colors, but in different sizes. Sometimes you're also going to be able to find these daylilies that bloom longer than what they really say they're going to bloom, and that can just be based on how you take care of them.”
Helland has a simple tip for growing daylilies.
“With daylilies, in order to have them flower prolifically every single year, remove the seed pods after they're done flowering. Remove the seed pods. It's going to be this little green piece of where the flower was. If you just remove those the plant will then put more energy into growing and putting it into the plants rather than into the seeds.”
Helland also says that right now is a great time to plant daylilies because you can see the color and size of the flowers, unlike in the spring when the plants are not flowering. If you do plant in the summer months just remember to provide a little extra water until the plants become established. Daylilies love full sun but can also grow in partial shade. The blooms will just not be as large.
Another thing that Helland likes about daylilies is that they are easy to divide once the plants are established after a few years. Similar to hostas. You can divide your daylilies, plant them in other areas of your yard or share them with family and friends. If you have questions for Erik Helland, send them to: [email protected]. He may answer your question on-the-air during the South Dakota Home Garden segment, Wednesdays on SDPB Radio's "In the Moment."