Edible Plants - Wild Survival Guide

DAY LILY

Hemerocallis fulva / LlLIACEAE

Other Common Names: Tawny Day Lily

Description: Hemerocallis: Showy perennial herbs from fleshy-fibrous roots or tubers; keeled leaves long and linear at base of tall naked flowering stem; large yellow to reddish- yellow flowers, withers and decays after blooming for a single day. H. fulva: Leaves 1-2 cm broad; flowering stem 5-20 dm high, 3-15 flowered; wavy- edged flowers are orange, deepening in color toward center.

Location: Hemerocallis: In colonies or clumps along ditches and roadsides in damp soil. H. fulva: Western United States. H. flava: Primarily found in the northeastern United States west to Michigan.

Season: Blooms May through July.

Edible: Buds, flowers, tubers.

Preparation: The buds and flowers, long a standard vegetable in the Orient, have many uses in cookery. Care should be taken not to overcook the flower buds. Boil only a few minutes when prepared as a solo dish topped with butter.

Buds and flowers can both be added to soup or stew a few minutes before removing from heat. The early tubers are good and crisp in a salad, or eaten raw alone.

Notes of Interest: Hemerocallis was originally a cultivated flower but easily escaped cultivation. They are hearty and thrive when thinned. Hemerocallis is Greek literally meaning 'beautiful for a day,' hence its common name, day lily, is derived.