I have Agapanthus all over my front yard. How well will Daylily blend with Agapanthus? I am in zone 9b and have mostly harder clay loam soil. I could plant the Daylily into the mounds of organic material at the base of each Agapanthus, which is very organic and well-draining. Which Daylily species would blend well with Agapanthus, and how should I plant them given my soil type?

That sounds like a fine idea, as long as each plant has enough space to do its thing, and enough water to manage. Daylilies need space for foliage and increase, so I would put then near (maybe not closer than 18") a vigorous perennial like agapanthus. Blue or lilac agapanthus would look particularly wonderful with yellow and orange daylilies. I have seen blue phlox used as a stunning companion to daylilies, and agapanthus similarly offers true blue color. White agapanthus goes with any daylily. For color, consider how these contrasts look, but imagine agapanthus instead of the purple...
Skinny Dipper and Baby Blue Eyes

Life Goes On and Bob Marley

Age of Aquarius and Planet Claire


@pone31, you may consider evergreen and semievergreen varieties of daylily; dormants may not perform as well in places where agapanthus does. I used to live in the subtropics and loved agapanthus. Would it survive her in 7a, where it occasionally gets down to 5 degrees fahrenheit in winter?

@Hembrain Are there evergreen varieties that will stay evergreen to zone 9b to just above freezing temperature in Winter? Is there a good reference with photos online that will clearly document which are evergreen, and show the blossom in a photo?

If you look up a daylily cultivar in the database here, it will be labeled evergreen semi-evergreen, or dormant. Some dormants will do well in your zone, but not all will. Evergreens are a safe choice in zone 9b.

I also strongly suggest you choose rust-resistant cultivars since you are in the "rust belt." Daylily rust is the scourge of growers in the warm regions, but if you are careful you can minimize it. Buy from northern growers and order your plants in the fall.

Some cultivars are labeled "resistant to rust" or "susceptible to rust" in the database, but most make no mention of it, leaving growers to take their chances.

If you like, describe the colors and types of daylilies you like, and I can make some recommendations of cultivars that have been rust-resistant for me. You can also search the database for evergreens and rust-resistance.

@DeweyRooter Yellow, white, or orange would be good colors for this area. Maybe a solid blue / purple would work for contrast.

How well will DayLily grow in hardened clay loam soil? Do I need to prepare special soil and use some kind of raised bed?

Here are some evergreens and semi-evergreens to start with. If you would like recommendations for dormants that have done well in 8b and have not shown rust, I can suggest more. None of these have shown rust in my garden:

Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Take Me Along')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Bela Lugosi')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Mark's Bouquet')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Laura Harwood')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Frank Gladney')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Full Moon Rising')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'J.T. Davis')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Monica Marie')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Super Purple')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Optical Delight')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Orange Velvet')

I tried to stay with the colors you suggested. If you would like some reds I have several more to suggest.

As far as soil is concerned, daylilies will grow in clay soil. I suggest amending with compost, manure, or other organic material. But they will grow in clay.

@DeweyRooter Thank you for the recommendations. Is there any reason to prefer evergreen over semi-evergreen in zone 9b? I am willing to look at Red as well.

No, semi-evergreens will most likely do well for you. You just have to try some plants and see how they do.

For reds, I strongly recommend Insider Trading. The plant has grown beautifully here, blooms up a storm, and has not shown a speck of rust.

Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Insider Trading')

Here are a few more reds that do well here and have not shown rust:

Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Carlotta')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Caught Red Handed')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Gypsy Rose Lee')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Key to My Heart')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Passion for Red')
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Spacecoast Little Red Ninja')

The last one might be pricey, but I included it as it is a beautiful plant. The others are all older cultivars, easily available, and should be moderately priced.

This one is not a red, but if you like doubles, you might consider it:

Daylily (Hemerocallis 'All About Eve')

I have had this one only one season, but it has settled in beautifully, has not shown rust, and has displayed lots of lovely blooms just like the pictures.

Good luck as you start your daylily journey. I predict you will soon be hooked just like the rest of us.

pone31 said: @Hembrain Are there evergreen varieties that will stay evergreen to zone 9b to just above freezing temperature in Winter? Is there a good reference with photos online that will clearly document which are evergreen, and show the blossom in a photo?

I have only grown daylilies here in 7a, so I can only speak from that experience. My evergreens and some semi-evergreens try to stay green all winter, and many only really seem to succumb to the cold when temps dip below 25 or 24 degrees, so they may stay green all year for you. Perhaps some folks from warmer climates can chime in. @pone31, it's helpful to pay some attention to the scape height and size of the daylily foliage/clump (if you can determine that from pictures and comments.) There are tiny daylilies the size of a big marble and massive blooms the length of a sheet of paper, with plant sizing to match. Moderate sizing may pair best, unless you want short in front and tall behind your agapanthus.

Nan, very good points and suggestions!

All semi evergreen and Evergreen retain their folage over the winter in 9b. Most will even continue to grow all winter.

What are the best mail order growers for Daylily, and can I plant them this time of year? What size should I be trying to buy?

I do not recommend planting them at this time of year. It's too hot, and the plants will be in shock and susceptible to crown rot. Wait till fall--the later the better.

There are lots of good online vendors and some to stay away from. (Smokey's and Gilbert H. Wild have the reputation of often sending the wrong plants.) I suggest starting with the ones folks have recommended on the Green Pages. You can access the reviews there via the "Useful Tools" drop-down menu at the top of the screen. Click on "Green Pages" and then "Daylilies."

AS far as size goes, that is up to you. Each entry in the database gives the scape height and the size of the average bloom. I have to warn you about a couple of things: 1)plants may not reach their full height until they have been in your garden for a few years. They have to settle in. 2) The scape height (as well as other features such as bloom size, color, bloom season--early, midseason, late, etc.) listed won't always match the plant's performance in your garden. For example, Full Moon Rising is listed as having 18" scapes; in my garden it's over 30".

@DeweyRooter The Green Pages here were a great resource. I was surprised that American Daylily was not on the list.

There were definitely more specialty nurseries for this genus than I expected.