Hemerocallis is a very difficult genus taxonomically, with no overall concensus amongst botanists as to how many distinct species there are and the delineation between them. The genus as a whole needs a comprehensive revision. We are trying to follow the most recent thinking for each species, though it is inevitable that a number of species we have included in the genus will have to be amended as and when a comprehensive new treatment is published.

Common Name:

General Information

Hemerocallis forrestii is an evergreen perennial plant producing a cluster of stems 40 - 80cm tall. The roots are slightly fleshy, with a large, globose, swollen, tuberous part near the tip around 15 - 25mm × 35 - 45cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

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[].)

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - China (southwest Sichuan, northwest Yunnan)

Habitat

Dry ridges and rocky banks; at elevations around 250 metres[]. Forests, grassy slopes and limestone cliffs; at elevations from 2,300 - 3,200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.40 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most soils[], including dry ones, preferring a rich moist soil[]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeding in sun or shade, it produces more flowers in a sunny position though these flowers can be shorter-lived in very sunny positions[]. Succeeds in short grass if the soil is moist[]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[].
Some reports say that this species is not hardy in Britain[], whilst another says that it is hardy to zone 5 (tolerating quite heavy frosts[]. There is a plant at Kew Botanical Gardens that bears this name and appears to be fully hardy, growing near the base of a west-facing brick wall[]. It is possible that this plant is actually a hybrid Hemerocallis forrestii x Hemerocallis middendorffii[].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].
Individual flowers are very short-lived, usually withering within 24 hours of opening. The plants produce a succession of blooms over a period of a month or more[].
Plants take a year or two to become established after being moved[].
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[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots - cooked. They must be consumed when very young or else they become fibrous[].

Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked.

Root - raw or cooked. The roots are swollen and conspicuously enlarged at each end[]. The roots are slightly fleshy, with a large, globose, swollen, tuberous part near the tip[].

Medicinal

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

Other Uses

The tough dried foliage is plaited into cord and used for making footwear[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in the middle of spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually fairly rapid and good. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[].
Division in spring or after flowering in late summer or autumn[]. Division is very quick and easy, succeeding at almost any time of the year[]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.