Hemerocallis littorea

Makino

Coastal day lily

Xanthorrhoeaceae Edible: Flowers, Leaves, Root Potential hazards — see below 22 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

A perennial daylily reaching 0.9m tall by 0.6m wide. Hardy to UK zone 4 and not frost tender. Flowers appear August to September with seed ripening September to October. Hermaphroditic. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun and adapts to dry or moist conditions.

Description

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots are edible cooked but must be harvested when very young before they become fibrous. Flowers and flower buds can be eaten raw or cooked, and can also be dried and used as a thickener in soups. Flower buds contain approximately 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A, and 3.1% protein. The roots are edible raw or cooked with a pleasant nutty flavour; this subspecies has a fibrous root system.

Medicinal Uses

The juice of the roots is an effective antidote in cases of arsenic poisoning. A tea made from boiled roots is used as a diuretic.

Known Hazards

Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Blanching the leaves removes this hallucinatory component. (This report does not make clear what it means by blanching, it could be excluding light from the growing shoots or immersing in boiling water.)

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, Japan,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils, including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil and a sunny position but tolerating partial shade. Plants flower less freely in a shady position though the flowers can last longer in such a position. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. The plant has a fibrous root system. Individual flowers are short-lived, opening in the morning and withering in the evening. The plant, however, produces a succession of flowers over a period of about 6 weeks. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Unlike the type species, this form does produce viable seed. Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved. They can then spread quite freely. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. The plants are very susceptible to slug and snail damage, the young growth in spring is especially at risk.

Propagation

Sow seed in mid-spring in a greenhouse; germination is usually fairly rapid and good. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, overwinter in the greenhouse, and plant out in late spring. Divide plants in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn — division is quick and easy at almost any time of year. Larger clumps can go straight into permanent positions; smaller clumps are best potted up and grown on in a cold frame until rooting well, then planted out in spring.