Fragrant Daylilies
July 23rd, 2005 by Kathy Purdy · 4 Comments
There are more daylilies than anyone can count, which sometimes makes it difficult to decide which to plant in your garden, especially if you can’t see them in bloom. If, like me, you consider pleasing fragrance a plus in any plant, you might want to consult this list when deciding on daylilies for your garden. I already own ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Butterpat’ but had never stuck my nose in to sniff. They both have a slight fragrance if you really get your nose in there–’Butterpat’ moreso than ‘Bonanza’–but neither can hold a candle to ‘Hyperion,’ my all-time favorite for fragrance. That tells me to narrow it down even further to the ones described as very fragrant. There are fragrant cultivars in every color and height, but I find the yellow ones (not gold) are more often fragrant than other colors. Probably the ancestral species that provides the yellow color is fragrant as well.
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About Kathy Purdy
Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. •
USDA Hardiness Zone:4 • AHS Heat Zone: 3 • Location: rural;
Southern Tier of NY • Geographic type: foothills of Appalachian
Mountains • Soil Type: acid clay • Experience level:
intermediate
• Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY
native plants, gardening with/for children
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4 responses so far ↓
1
Alice Nelson
// Jul 24, 2005 at 4:53 pm
Hyperion is a very old species. I wonder if it is what they used to call Lemon Lily. There are some irises that are fragrant, also, including the one with white striped leaves. The flowers aren’t spectacular but the foliage is attractive all year. By the way, anyone know a source for heather? Besides White Flower Farm, that is.
2
jenn
// Jul 26, 2005 at 6:27 pm
I like the fragrance of the daylilies, too. I think I have a Hyperion (it was here when we moved in). It blooms right around my birthday in late June and I treasure it.
The other fragrances I like are the hostas. High, sweet, and elusive - they pleasure the nose without overpowering it.
3
Kathy Purdy
// Jul 30, 2005 at 6:50 pm
Lemon lily is Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus. ‘Hyperion’ is a hybrid. Jenn, you might actually have lemon lily because it is a very early bloomer, and ‘Hyperion’ is blooming right now in my garden. If your yellow daylily blooms in late June, I doubt it is ‘Hyperion.’
As for heathers, I’ve gotten those little postcard advertisements for a heather catalog, but I can’t remember the name of it. You could try searching through Cyndi’s List, and you could also try Google’s catalog search. Ha! Now that I’ve told you all that, I remember the heather nursery: it’s Rock Spray Nursery.
Now, I want to know the names of the Zone 3 climbing roses you mentioned in another comment!
4
Jeanie
// Mar 13, 2007 at 12:38 am
Way back, c. 1958 a small, bright yellow daylily came up in the garden of the old house we bought in Southern Maryland It only grew to 12″-15″ and did not make a huge clump. It smelled absolutely divine. The blooms were slender, with pointed, elegant petals. We called it the lemon lily. We moved away and did not take a bit of the plant with us, and now it is lost. If anyone knows the name of this plant and where to buy it I would appreciate it if they would share it with me. Thanks!!
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