An Ode to the Day Lily

If Kiko’s House had an “official” flower, it would be the day lily.

Beginning in mid-June and peaking in mid-July, the ubiquitous bright orange blossoms begin appearing on country roadsides, in woods and in gardens until the last flowers fade in August.

As their name implies, the flowers of the day lily are transitory, opening at sunrise and withering at sunset, usually to be replaced the next day by another flower on the same stem.

Although day lilies are extraordinarily hardy (I have transplanted clumps to very different soils and climates and they’ve thrived), they are unsuitable as cut flowers and quickly shrivel when brought indoors, as if to say, "Please appreciate us in our natural surroundings."

There are over 60,000 varieties of the day lily (genus hemerocallis) worldwide, the vast majority of them hybrids. But the orange day lily, also called the tiger lily, predominates in the American wild.

Most day lilies are odorless, but the flowers of some species are edible and are sold (fresh or dried) in Asian markets as golden needles. If you’re adventurous, as I have been, you can deep fry the flowers in a light tempura batter or similar medium.

Beautiful to look at and yummy to eat.

Top photograph by Don Huntley