it absolutely needs to be noted that Hemerocallis fulva is considered an invasive species and is prohibited from being planted in some states . Be sure to check your local invasive/prohibited list before planting.


THAT being said...I have a very old, fairly large patch of them that came with the property, and I love them. I fight a bit with 'em each year to keep them in the area I want them in (which works just fine, if I'm sure to pull up wanderers at least a couple times a season or when I see them). They provide a huge splash of color when they are in bloom.

Thanks for identifying what Ditch Lilies are-
I had not heard of them before.

I'd never heard of them before either, they are really beautiful to have such a common name.

Well they grow EVERYWHERE around here. They were used a a lot in the past in roadside ditches and were often planted en Masse around outhouses. You can not drive a mile (a bit of an exaggeration if in the more rural parts) in this part of US without seeing them several times during bloom season.

I see the ditch lilies planted, growing and blooming away in non garden areas as a good thing. They look pretty blooming.

Oh, I like the way they look as well. They are not on my state's prohibited list so it's not a real issue here. And though they are said to be invasive, I've never seen any evidence around here of them pushing out native species but then I can't speak for all areas. Around here Dame's Rocket is a serious problem as is Burning Bush, but H. Fulva will always be welcome where I live.

The ditchlily, Hemerocallis fulva is the original daylily, without it we wouldn't have the beautiful daylilies we have today. They were brought here with the colonists because they provided food (all parts of the plant are edible) and medicine and because they also provided beauty. As the colonists settled or moved on, the ditchlily went with them, so they spread from east to the south and west as it was settled.

Just as Rita says, they are very good at providing erosion control, too. And I've read that in some areas they are used to provide a natural firebreak because they hold so much water.

This thread is very interesting! I have a large stand of H. fulva (or is it H. fulva 'Europa' ? I don't quite understand the difference) that has been growing in our farm grove for at least 50 years. They never bloomed because of too much shade but I always liked the foliage. About 20 years ago I started gradually converting this part of the grove into my " hosta glade" but only dug up the fulva if I wanted to plant a hosta in the spot. We also cleared out a lot of scrub trees, elderberry, etc. , limbed up trees and this all let more sun in. The fulva started to bloom! So now, purely by accident, we have the gorgeous bloom near the east side of the hosta glade! I also grow a large clump of fulva 'Kwanso' which I acquired when I visited a friend who lived on a farm that had been in the family for generations. I spotted this row of gorgeous daylilies in full bloom... she had no idea what it was but I knew immediately that it was Kwanso! She had no choice but to give me a couple of fans!
Yes, I also have newer daylilies ... something I love to do is plant a daylily with its descendants side by side. For example: 'Lilting Lavender', 'Lola Branham', and 'North Wind Dancer', the last one a recent Stout medal winner. ... a beautiful combination. And I suspect they could all be traced back to H. fulva?

Welcome to ATP. And I agree that Kwanso really is a beautiful bloom.