Orange Daylily

Year-round

Orange daylily is a tough, low maintenance perennial that spreads on its own once it settles in, and it needs almost no coddling in a Memphis yard.

• Give it full sun to light shade, at least 6 hours of direct sun a day gets you the most blooms.
• It handles Memphis clay and average soil fine, just make sure water drains and does not sit in a puddle around the roots.
• Water deeply about once a week, roughly an inch, while it gets established. After that it can coast on rainfall most of the year.
• This plant spreads by rhizome and naturalizes easily, so plan on dividing the clump every 3 to 4 years to keep it from taking over the bed.
• It is toxic to cats but not to dogs, per the ASPCA, so keep cats away from the leaves and flowers, especially if yours likes to chew on plants.

Left alone for a few years this clump will creep past its bed line. Edge it or divide it on a schedule so the front yard reads as tended, not overgrown.

Fall

Fall is your other good window for dividing this plant, and the point where you start cleaning up foliage for winter.

• Late summer into early fall is a solid time to divide crowded clumps. Get it done 6 to 8 weeks before your first hard freeze so the new roots have time to settle in.
• If you divide now, cut the foliage back to about 6 to 8 inches before replanting the divisions.
• As leaves start to yellow after the first cool nights, pull off the dead and dying foliage to keep the bed neat.
• Skip fertilizing this time of year. It does not need the extra push heading into dormancy.

Cutting back yellowing foliage and cleaning up the clump edge in fall keeps the bed looking tended through winter instead of scraggly.

Winter

Memphis winters are mild enough for this daylily, and once it goes dormant it needs almost nothing from you.

• This species is hardy across zones 3 to 8, so a typical Memphis winter (zone 7b to 8a) is well within its range and the roots are not at risk.
• Foliage usually browns and dies back after your first hard freeze. Once it does, cut back the dead leaves to tidy up the bed.
• Skip watering and feeding through winter. The plant is dormant and does not need either.
• Winter is a good time to plan where you will divide or thin the clump once spring growth starts.

Dead foliage left standing all winter can make a front bed look neglected. Cut it back once it browns so the space still reads as maintained.

Spring

Spring is when new shoots push up in Memphis, and it is your best window to plant, move, or divide clumps.

• New growth usually shows up by March. Once shoots are 2 to 4 inches tall you can dig and divide overgrown clumps.
• This is the easiest time of year to plant new starts or move a clump, since roots get a full growing season to settle in before next winter.
• A light feeding of a slow release fertilizer in early spring supports blooming. Skip heavy nitrogen, it just pushes more leafy spread instead of flowers.
• Resume regular watering as days warm up and new growth picks up speed.

Spring is the easiest time to reset the bed edge and pull any rhizomes that wandered, before the clump takes off for summer.

Summer

Summer is bloom season, and Memphis heat means paying attention to watering and keeping up with deadheading.

• Blooms run through the hottest stretch of summer. Each flower only lasts one day, so spent blooms brown out fast.
• Deadhead spent flowers and old bloom stalks every few days for a tidier look and to keep the plant's energy going into new buds.
• During a Memphis heat wave, water deeply once a week rather than a little every day, and water in the early morning to cut down on evaporation.
• Established clumps handle drought fine on their own, but steady moisture while it is budding and flowering gives you better, bigger blooms.