Almost everything I plant gets eaten, dug up or blown away, so am I ever surprised that a day lily division has grown and bloomed. It was given to me last fall, casually tossed in a pot and forgotten, now here it is blooming.
Only thing is--I don't really care for the color, a pumpkin orange. Are other colors as hardy? How do I buy, plant and care for a prettier one?
I know that in some areas they're considered weeds, but I'd like to give a different color a try and actually take proper care of it. Please give me your advice, and flower pictures if possible!
Thanks!

You've asked a lot of questions! There are literally thousands of registered daylilies, and probably more that aren't. I would recommend that you spend some time browsing the daylily database to get a feel for what you like. Personally, I don't have a favorite, but I am drawn toward patterns, teeth, and beards.
Daylilies are, in general, very hardy. They will survive with little care, but thrive if given more. I'm sure there are others here who are more knowledgeable than I am, but I'm going to post these photos for you:









This is Siloam Double Classic. It's an older cultivar, so it's inexpensive. It's extremely hardy and dependable for me, and it's always beautiful. It would definitely be a good place for you to start.
(Others might recommend Stella de Oro, but I personally dislike it. It's cute, but it's plain yellow, and it's all over the freaking place.)

From your description, I'd guess someone gave you a 'ditch' or 'alley' daylily. They are tough as nails. Personally I like them and have several stands around the place. But I don't plant them in the beds with my other daylilies.

You can find daylilies in all colors except true blue and white. Plants range in sizes from very small to five feet...maybe more. Their grasslike foliage can be dormant in winter or stay green. Some bloom early, some bloom later. Since they all were developed from the orange daylily, there are lots of orange and yellows around....which happen to be my favorite colors.

You can buy them online. I buy mostly from oakesdaylilies.com in Tenn. You can go to their website and see a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Lowes, Home Depot and local garden centers will likely carry them, too. You can pay a few dollars to a thousand dollars.

I'm not a gardener, but have developed a love for them. They are not magic. I've learned that while they are drought tolerant, they need water to grow and bloom. Oh, plant the tall ones in the back of the flower bed.

This website is great for a beginner. Good luck. Let us know what you choose for your first daylily.

My main suggestion, if you don't find something you like at Lowes, etc, look for a local daylily grower. There is probably one fairly close. Try to go see them while they are in bloom, beautiful! A local grower will have the varieties that will grow well for your area, and daylily people like to discuss daylilies. You will probably learn way more than you want, but would make for an interesting trip.

Thank you all for your replies and helpful information! I didn't realize that daylilies have their very own forum! I'll be browsing and getting some ideas. The pictures you've posted are WAY nicer than my little survivors.
Anyone grow in containers?
Thanks

Yes you can grow in containers. I have grown a smaller daylily called 'Schnickel Fritz' in a container for several years.

MsDoe said: Almost everything I plant gets eaten, dug up or blown away

Kind of ironic that you've named yourself after a known plant eater, then.

What kind of colors do you like?

MsDoe said:
Anyone grow in containers?

I generally have between 50 and 100 daylilies in 1-gallon buckets while beds are being built. Growing in containers is a different beast this far up north, though. I would think it would be quite easy in your zone; how cold do your winters get?

Thank you all for getting back to me! I've already been browsing a bit, right now my eye is drawn to the bright clear red ones, but that may not be my final answer.
Most packages and mail for my area are routed through Phoenix, so this is not a good time to ship plants. Maybe in the Fall.
I live in a town in Arizona, over 5,000 ft elevation. We have cold-ish winters. I generally look for plants that will survive down to 0-10 degrees F. It's not always that cold, but it can be. We get some snow, it's usually gone within a few days. I haven't shoveled the driveway since I retired but have sometimes stayed home while it melts off.
We have some big box stores and local nurseries but no daylily specialists. Phoenix and Tucson are great for cactus and succulents, but I'll be looking online for my daylily. Oakes looks good, Thanks FlowersGalore.
I'm right in town but still get lots of wildlife. Deer on occasion, javelina regularly, also skunks, raccoons, coyotes, squirrels, chipmunks, packrats, mice and lots of insects. And birds, of course. I'm a survival-of-the-fittest type gardener, so was very happy when my "ditch lilies" came back and bloomed.
Native soil here is rocky clay, I'll probably start with a big container.
I'm enjoying planning a bit of gardening! Thanks for getting back to me.

@alilyfan
Thank you!
I'd never thought to look for someone local for some reason.
Here there's a place not 10 minutes from me. Have to go check it out some time this summer.

Oh no yall we have a newbie.
Msdoe
Let me just tell you stay here long and you will also be addicted. We are a bunch of enablers and arent ashamed of it. again and enjoy what your about to be exposed to.

You will get great information from this group!

Thank you for the warm welcome!
I also have a few phalaenopsis orchids inside. Started with one that was a gift. They really aren't difficult plants, they just have their own table. And grow light. And special orchid pots and orchid bark. And of course the orchid food. They haven't needed very much pest control. I do adjust the house temperature seasonally for their preferences, but that's really no trouble. And the flowers are fabulous.
This daylily road is looking a little familiar! Thanks for the help...

MsDoe, daylilies are way easier than orchids!
Decent normal garden dirt, some water, leave them outside, fertilize them with any balanced N-P-K if you want to. Pick your favorite 100 reds lol. We have a "reds" thread here somewhere.

The thread "Your best RED daylilies" in Daylilies forum

Welcome to the addic, er, um... club!

PlantingOaks said:@alilyfan
Thank you!
I'd never thought to look for someone local for some reason.
Here there's a place not 10 minutes from me. Have to go check it out some time this summer.

Oh, there are wonderful daylily farms in Ohio! Heavenly Gardens, Saksa, Valley of the Daylilies (though he may be retiring after this year), Polston (just outside of Dayton). My very favorite doesn't ship, but every year we take a road trip up to Findlay to Perennial Plant Peddler, and those plants always do extremely well for me.

OK, I think I found one I'm interested in (for starters!). It's at Oakes, called "Christmas Ruby". Does anyone have this one?
It's listed as a 5" bloom--is that big/small/average? I don't have any sort of feel for what's normal!
Same thing for height, it's listed at 24" tall. Big/small/average? Is that appropriate for container growing?
I think the dormant type will work well here, as we do get some cold and snow.
Are these generally deer/javelina/squirrel etc resistant?
I've been looking over the yard, might have a place for a few more, but need to start small.

MsDoe said:OK, I think I found one I'm interested in (for starters!). It's at Oakes, called "Christmas Ruby". Does anyone have this one?
It's listed as a 5" bloom--is that big/small/average? I don't have any sort of feel for what's normal!
Same thing for height, it's listed at 24" tall. Big/small/average? Is that appropriate for container growing?

Yes, I have it. It has grown and multiplied well. But it was first planted in pretty heavy shade. So I have not seen many blooms. I moved it into more sun and have lots of buds, but no flowers yet this year.

Height is your choice. I look for something around 24-25 inches, 4-5 inch flower. But I notice my latest additions have leaned toward taller. I'll have to watch that.

I have not had a lot of success with container growing. I usually wind up putting them in the ground. But some people prefer it.

MsDoe said: I think the dormant type will work well here, as we do get some cold and snow.
Are these generally deer/javelina/squirrel etc resistant?

I would recommend dormant. No, they are not deer resistant. I use Liquid Fence Deer and Rabbit repellent with some success. Squirrels haven't bothered then. Don't see javelin in this neighborhood....yet.

MsDoe said:I've been looking over the yard, might have a place for a few more, but need to start small.

Good idea to start small. I like Oaks after having a bad experience with another company, but you might be better served by a local producer more familiar with your climate and critters. Good luck.

Thank you FlowersGalore, I appreciate your comments and advice!
I've been unable to find any Daylily specialty nurseries in Arizona, it doesn't seem to be a "thing" here. I'm OK with ordering online to get the color and type I want. I'll have to wait until Fall, it's just too hot to ship live plants right now, meanwhile I can browse and plan!
I will have to start with containers, they'll be in part sun and bright shade. Very few non-natives really grow in full sun here. I'll have to see if that will be enough to get them blooming well, I hope so.
Any thoughts on container size? (I'm thinking it will need to be pretty big to hold all the growth I expect )
Happy Gardening!

Suggest 3+ gallon for typical size daylilies. Some have used up to 5 gal containers

MsDoe, I had a daylily bloom indoors under only the kitchens lights. This was a diminished fan in a vase of water and it put up a scape and bloomed. If you can give them 4+ hours of strong sun they should do beautifully. The bright shade will also help. I lived outside of PHX for 10 years and grew petunias, pansies, and calla lilies in bright shade with zero direct sun.

Let us know how we can help (you get more daylilies)!