Purple d'Oro daylily

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowers best with at least 6 hours of direct sun. Light afternoon shade can help preserve flower colour in hot climates.

Water

Water regularly during establishment. Established clumps tolerate short dry spells, but flower better with deep watering during dry weather, particularly while buds are developing.

Soil

Well-drained soil enriched with compost; tolerates clay, loam and sandy soil provided it is not persistently waterlogged. Slightly acidic to neutral soil is ideal.

Height

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Early to midsummer, with possible repeat flowering into late summer; purple to reddish-purple flowers with a yellow-green throat. Each flower lasts one day.

Foliage

Arching, strap-shaped green leaves form a low fountain-shaped clump. Foliage usually dies back for winter in cold climates.

Growth

Moderate; gradually forms a wider clump.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.1 ft (0.32 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the crown about 1 in (2.5 cm) below the soil surface, allowing room for the clump to widen.
• Water deeply during the first growing season and during prolonged dry spells while flowering.
• Apply compost in spring; use a modest amount of balanced fertiliser only if growth is weak or soil is poor.
• Mulch around the clump to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the crown.
• Divide crowded clumps every 3-5 years, or when flowering declines.

Pruning. Remove spent flowers if you want a tidier display, and cut finished flower stalks down to their base. Remove dead leaves in late autumn or early spring; leave healthy green foliage to feed the roots.

Early spring

Remove dead foliage and check that the crown is not buried beneath wet mulch.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps once the soil is workable, then water thoroughly.

Late spring

Apply compost and refresh mulch before the soil dries out.

Summer

Water during dry spells and remove faded flowers and finished stalks.

Early autumn

Divide overcrowded clumps in mild regions, allowing several weeks for rooting before hard frost.

Late autumn

Remove collapsed, dead leaves; avoid leaving dense, wet debris over the crown.

• Edge a sunny path with repeated clumps for a low ribbon of summer colour.
• Plant at the front of mixed borders with catmint and cranesbills to contrast broad, arching leaves with finer foliage.
• Group beside ornamental grasses for a simple combination of fountain-shaped foliage and upright flower stems.
• Grow in a large, well-drained container where its flowers can be seen closely; water container plants more frequently.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Traditional, Low-maintenance, Small-space, New perennial (prairie) and Family-friendly.

Plant it with: Catmint, Hardy cranesbill, Perennial salvia, Coneflower, Coreopsis and Feather reed grass.

Wildlife: Flowers may attract bees and butterflies, although daylilies are not a substitute for a varied planting of locally suitable nectar plants. Deer may eat the buds, flowers and foliage.

• Slugs and snails can chew emerging leaves: remove hiding places and use wildlife-conscious slug control where necessary.
• Daylily rust causes orange powdery pustules on leaves, especially in warm, humid regions: remove infected foliage, improve airflow and avoid moving affected plants into clean beds.
• Crown rot can develop in saturated soil: improve drainage, keep mulch clear of the crown and discard badly rotted plants.
• Poor flowering often follows heavy shade or overcrowding: move to a sunnier position or divide congested clumps.

Extremely toxic to cats: all parts, including flowers, leaves, pollen and water from a vase containing daylilies, can cause fatal kidney failure. Suspected exposure needs immediate veterinary attention. Daylilies are not generally considered toxic to dogs or horses, although eating plant material can cause digestive upset. Some daylilies are eaten by people, but this ornamental cultivar should not be treated as a food plant; raw material may cause stomach upset, and dangerous confusion with true lilies is possible.

• Stella de Oro daylily (Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro')

  Has a similarly compact habit and repeat-flowering potential, but its flowers are golden yellow rather than purple.

• Happy Returns daylily (Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns')

  Produces pale lemon-yellow flowers rather than purple flowers with a contrasting yellow-green throat.

• True lilies (Lilium spp.)

  True lilies grow from bulbs and carry leaves along upright stems. Daylilies have fleshy roots, basal fans of strap-shaped leaves and largely leafless flower stalks.

Hemerocallis comes from Greek words meaning 'day' and 'beauty', referring to the single-day life of each flower.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring or early autumn, keeping healthy roots and at least one fan of leaves on each division. Division preserves the cultivar; seedlings will not reliably match the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Hemerocallis

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.