Hi everyone! I'm new here.

I've always loved daylilies, but since I have a tiny space and it is dedicated mostly to edibles, I've not had an excuse to really grow them. They're so delicious (as well as beautiful), but I have only now learned about rebloomers. I'd like to do a test plot of rebloomers to see how long I can make the harvest season last.

What varieties have long, full unopened buds? That's my favorite part! The best tasting colors (IMHO) are light yellow.

Thanks!
Nathan

Zone 7b/8a, Atlanta

You are in my area. I've heard that daylilies are edible but I've never tried them. I would not eat the ones that I grow because of the fertilizer that I use(milorganite).

Some of the more experienced growers can help you with the varieties you are looking for, as I am relatively new to the daylily party!

Well the spider and ufo varities often have very long buds.

A fellow ATLien! Not sure about long buds, but 'California Girl' is pretty tasty. I just started eating my daylilies this year. (Went totally organic over a year ago to make sure I don't poison myself, lol.) Definitely the light yellows are the best. I have only eaten the open blooms, but I'm really interested in cooking more with them. In addition to rebloomers, bud builders can extend the season by adding more and more buds to the tip of the scape as the season goes on. I have some that have been blooming for 2 months.

I have also heard 'Countess Carrots' is particularly good, but have not tried it. It was mentioned in an AHS journal article along with some recipes and suggested cultivars. If you're not a member yet, check out http://daylilies.org/

I'm so glad to hear someone else is eating daylilies. People in Asia have been taking advantage of this high vitamin "golden vegetable" for thousands of years. So why shouldn't we?

Why is it that eating a flower freaks most of us out so much? Okay maybe its just me. We grow everything organically but I'm such a chicken when it comes to eating plants that I've never eaten before. What if I have an allergic reaction?! *gasp* Took me years to suck up the courage to eat dandilions...

But I'll eat snails and raw fish like it's my last meal...

It does seem weird to eat the blooms/buds. I think it's partly a cultural thing. I would venture to say that most Americans did not grow up eating flowers, of any kind. If we've tried them, it's been a novelty or an edible garnish. Also, many new hybrids have come out with intense color, amazing patterns, and gorgeous form, it seems almost a sin to eat them (like that wedding cake that looks so good, you dare not cut it). However, I'm hoping in the future that some hybridizers will take the road less traveled, and develop daylilies for the vegetable garden. It can be done!

I don't know if I could eat the buds after seeing what hides in them.

Or it's just a matter of perception. When you eat a fig, I think you are eating a flower bud or the flower. The fig doesn't follow after a bloom. I've just learned this, so I may not be entirely clear about it all. I just noticed that my new little fig tree was putting on figs at the leaf joint. No blooming beforehand and asked about it. It's not the same process as a peach or a plum . It may be we all eat more buds and flowers than we know, but they just aren't referred to that way. Like peanuts. Not really a nut, I think. More kin to legumes like a pea than to tree nuts. Or part of the root system of the plant.

Well a lot of vegetables are actually the flower of the plant, broccoli, artichokes, etc. That's not what bothers me. Its the possible bugs inside the buds like earwigs.

Hemlady said:Well a lot of vegetables are actually the flower of the plant, broccoli, artichokes, etc. That's not what bothers me. Its the possible bugs inside the buds like earwigs.

And thrips...and ants...and tiny beetles...

Welcome to NGA @ghouliegrrrl.