Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are among the easiest, low-maintenance herbaceous perennials you can grow. These tough, forgiving, and drought-tolerant plants thrive in nearly any garden, from city lots to sprawling country landscapes. Known for their easy-care nature and stunning variety of bloom colors, Daylilies are the true "plant-it-and-forget-it" perennials. Once established, they come back year after year with lush green growth and a long parade of cheerful flowers, adding charm and polish to any setting.
Unlike true Lilies, Daylilies grow from fleshy roots instead of bulbs. Each flower stalk holds multiple buds that bloom one at a time, each lasting only a day, yet producing weeks of color. Their fountain-like leaves, which arch gracefully outward, are what make them true landscape treasures. The fine, fringe-like texture of their foliage adds movement, softness, and a finishing touch to beds, borders, and foundation plantings without requiring constant maintenance.
New gardeners will fall in love with popular favorites, like Stella de Oro, Pardon Me, and the Rainbow Rhythm® series, which make it easy to design professional-looking landscapes that practically take care of themselves.
- Landscaping With Daylilies - Design Ideas for Every Garden
- Quick Care & Maintenance Tips
- Blooms of the Day - The Perfect Easy-Grow Perennial
Top 10 Daylily Varieties to Brighten Your Garden
With hundreds of Daylily cultivars available, here are ten of the most dependable and eye-catching varieties for every type of garden:
- Rainbow Rhythm® Tiger Swirl Daylily - A swirl of golden yellow and burgundy-red petals that command attention. Excellent for butterfly and pollinator gardens.
- Stella de Oro Daylily - The iconic reblooming yellow Daylily that’s compact, cheerful, and thrives from Zone 2 to Zone 9.
- Pardon Me Daylily - Compact crimson-red blooms with a light fragrance. A reliable rebloomer for borders or containers.
- Happy Returns Daylily - Soft lemon-yellow flowers that appear from early summer until frost. Ideal for pairing with blue or purple perennials.
- Rainbow Rhythm® Going Bananas Daylily - Big, buttery-yellow blooms that glow in sunlight and rebloom for months.
- Double Pardon Me Daylily - Rich red, double-petaled blooms for extra texture and volume in mixed perennial gardens.
- Grape Magic Daylily - Deep purple-magenta petals that add contrast and sophistication to any color palette.
- Little Grapette Daylily - Petite purple flowers and compact growth make this variety perfect for edging or small gardens.
- Pocket Full of Gold™ Daylily - Radiant golden-yellow blooms that light up borders and containers with sunny energy.
- South Seas Daylily - Coral-orange with pink undertones for a tropical flair that thrives in warm climates.
Landscaping With Daylilies - Design Ideas for Every Garden
Daylilies are some of the most adaptable and rewarding plants you can use in your landscape. Their fountain-like, fine-textured leaves look lush and elegant, while their colorful blooms brighten everything around them. Here are some beautiful and practical ways to use them in your garden design:
1. The Perfect Edging Plant - Few plants define garden edges as gracefully as Daylilies. Their arching, grass-like foliage forms soft, flowing lines along walkways, driveways, and paths. They act as a green fringe that outlines and enhances hard surfaces, softening sharp edges with natural texture. The fine blades move gently in the breeze, adding motion and a sense of tranquility. When in bloom, they transform pathways into glowing ribbons of color. Use compact selections like Stella de Oro, Little Grapette, or Happy Returns for a refined, uniform look that requires almost no upkeep. They also make wonderful low-growing flowering plants for borders.
2. Skirting Around Trees and Shrubs - The dense, clumping habit of Daylilies makes them ideal for circling the base of trees or large shrubs. They hide bare lower branches and create a finished, layered effect that looks polished year-round. Around flowering bushes or evergreen shrubs, their tidy form acts as a natural "skirt" that blends transitions between ground and canopy beautifully.
3. Facer Plants for Foundations and Hedges - Daylilies are excellent facer plants for foundation plantings and hedge bases. Their lush green foliage conceals lower stems of taller shrubs and gives your planting beds a clean, professional look. As the foliage matures, it spills forward like a decorative fringe, softening hard lines along walls, fences, or formal hedges with ease. Unlike many edging plants, Daylilies don't need constant trimming, and their mounded growth stays neat and uniform on its own.
4. Mass Plantings and Hillsides - In larger areas, mass plantings of Daylilies create waves of color that draw the eye and provide erosion control. Their roots knit soil together on slopes, while their foliage creates a dense mat that suppresses weeds. Mix complementary colors for a painterly effect or keep it monochromatic for a modern, sophisticated feel. For challenging slopes, they pair beautifully with rain gardens or wet-site plantings as easily as they thrive in xeric, drought-prone landscapes alike!
5. Containers and Pollinator Gardens - These perennials also thrive in pots, adding lush greenery and tall, graceful flowers to patios and entryways. Combine them with annual flowers like Zinnias or trailing Petunias for long-lasting color. Pollinators love their nectar-rich blooms, so they fit beautifully into edible and pollinator-friendly gardens.
Quick Care & Maintenance Tips
Daylilies are almost foolproof. Once planted, they require minimal attention and still reward you with months of flowers and reliable structure. Here are a few easy tips for success:
- Plant in full sun to partial shade. Six or more hours of sunlight ensure the best flowering.
- Daylilies tolerate average soils but appreciate compost-enriched, well-draining soil.
- Water regularly until established, then only during prolonged droughts. Use the Finger Test to check when watering is needed.
- Remove spent flowers and cut back faded foliage to keep plants tidy. Learn about deadheading for more blooms.
- Divide every 3-5 years to rejuvenate clumps and increase your supply, or check out our guide on transplanting Daylilies successfully.
- Add an arborist mulch layer to conserve moisture and prevent weeds.
Blooms of the Day - The Perfect Easy-Grow Perennial
Daylilies truly are the gardener's dream come true. They thrive in nearly any condition, return reliably every year, and lend effortless polish wherever they grow. From edging pathways and driveways to skirting trees and foundation beds, their fine, fountain-like leaves act as a living fringe that finishes any landscape with grace.
Even when not in bloom, they provide a clean, textured backdrop for shrubs, annuals, and flowering perennials. For gardeners who crave beauty without the burden of high maintenance, Daylilies are pure perfection.
Happy Planting!