Rosy Returns daylily

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; at least 6 hours of direct sun usually gives the best flowering.

Water

Moderate; water deeply during dry spells, especially while flower stems and buds are developing. Established clumps tolerate some drought but flower less.

Soil

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

Height

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Rose-pink flowers with a darker pink eye and yellow throat, starting in early summer and often repeating into autumn; repeat flowering is less dependable in cool summers.

Foliage

Arching, narrow green leaves form a low mound; foliage usually dies back for winter in cold climates.

Growth

Moderate; forms an expanding clump over several growing seasons.

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.
• Water new plants regularly through their first growing season; thereafter, water deeply during prolonged dry weather.
• Apply compost in spring; use a light application of balanced fertilizer only where growth is weak or soil is poor.
• Mulch around clumps to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the crown.
• Divide crowded clumps every 3-5 years if flowering declines.

Pruning. Remove spent flowers if you want a tidier display, and cut finished flower stems down near the base without damaging new stems. Remove dead leaves in late autumn or early spring; leave healthy green foliage to feed the crown.

Early spring

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

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, water well and apply compost.

Late spring

Check developing buds for swelling or distortion, particularly where daylily gall midge occurs.

Summer

Water during dry spells, remove spent flowers and cut down finished flower stems.

Early autumn

Divide crowded clumps if needed, allowing several weeks for rooting before hard frost.

Late autumn

Remove collapsed foliage and diseased plant debris; avoid leaving a wet mat over the crown.

• Plant along the front of sunny mixed borders, where its low foliage does not hide taller flowers.
• Repeat small groups beside paths to carry pink flowers through the planting.
• Combine with catmint or hardy geraniums for contrasting blue-purple flowers and softer foliage.
• Use in a large, well-drained container for a patio display, with regular watering and winter protection for the roots in very cold regions.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Traditional, Romantic rose garden, Pastel border, Low-maintenance and Small-space.

Plant it with: Catmint, Hardy geranium, Salvia, Coreopsis, Purple coneflower and Switchgrass.

Wildlife: Flowers may attract bees, butterflies and, in North America, hummingbirds. Deer often eat the buds and flowers.

• Slugs and snails can chew emerging leaves: remove hiding places, hand-pick or use an appropriate iron-phosphate bait according to the label.
• Daylily gall midge, particularly in parts of the UK and Europe, causes swollen, distorted buds that fail to open: remove affected buds promptly and dispose of them in household waste.
• Daylily rust causes orange-yellow powdery pustules, especially in warm, humid regions: remove infected foliage, improve airflow and avoid moving affected plants to other gardens.
• Poor flowering commonly follows heavy shade, drought, deep planting or overcrowding: improve light and watering, check crown depth and divide congested clumps.

Highly toxic to cats: leaves, flowers, stems and pollen can cause potentially fatal kidney failure if swallowed. Treat any suspected ingestion as an immediate veterinary emergency. Daylilies are not known to be toxic to dogs or horses. Some daylilies are eaten by people, but edibility and tolerance vary; do not treat this ornamental cultivar as a food plant.

• True lilies (Lilium spp.)

  True lilies grow from bulbs and carry leaves along upright stems; daylilies have a basal clump of strap-shaped leaves and mostly leafless flower stems.

• Tawny daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)

  Tawny daylily is much taller, usually has orange flowers and can spread vigorously by underground growth; 'Rosy Returns' is compact, pink-flowered and clump-forming.

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

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring or early autumn, keeping healthy roots and at least one leafy fan on each division. Seedlings will not reliably retain the characteristics of 'Rosy Returns'.

Accepted botanical name

Hemerocallis

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