Daylillies Revisited

Well, it’s that time again. The daylilies are blooming. You can’t travel very far in Michigan without seeing those familiar bright orange blossoms and the spiky leaves. You see them as a border along someone’s lawn and growing wild along the roadside.

Occasionally, while traveling through the countryside, you will see a batch of them in what appears to be the middle of nowhere. This always tells me that at one time there was a farm homestead on the site. Years ago, a farmwife (or the farmer himself!), lovingly planted these hoping for many years of color to brighten the landscape. Well, the farm and it’s buildings are long gone, but the daylilies continue to bloom. That tells you how hardy this plant is!

I had never given much thought to why daylilies were named daylilies. I guess I just assumed they opened during the day and closed at night. I have since found out that the daylily blossom only blooms for one day, a pretty brief life, but the many blossoms per stem make for a long running display of color.

Someone who owned our property in the past must have loved daylilies, because our property is filled with them. But, that’s OK with me because I like the splash of color they provide. I sometimes wonder how old these plants are and how many changes have taken place on the property since the were planted. If only daylilies could talk!