Fragrant Daylilies

– Posted in: Plant info, Recommended Links
5 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.

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

~Albert Camus in Albert Camus quotations

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anne argiroff August 6, 2008, 10:17 pm

I am looking for a similar lily as that described by Jeannie on March 13, 2007. It is a lemon-colored (not bright yellow) lily with slender petals. I think it was larger than 15″ high. Also, it had a wonderful lily fragrance (not a lemon fragrance). Could this be Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus? I would love to know. And, if so, where can I get it? Thank you.

Jeanie March 13, 2007, 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!!

Kathy Purdy July 30, 2005, 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!

jenn July 26, 2005, 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.

Alice Nelson July 24, 2005, 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.