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 fulva aurantiaca is an evergreen perennial plant producing a clump of stems 75cm tall from a tuberous rootstock.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is sometimes cultivated for its edible flowers and is often grown as an ornamental in gardens.

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 - southern China, southern Japan, Korea

Habitat

Thickets, grasslands and streamsides; at elevations from 300 - 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.75 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	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[].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].
The roots have spindle-shaped swellings[].
The cultivar 'Major' is smaller than the type species, but has larger flowers, it is sometimes cultivated for these edible flowers in Japan[]. There is some doubt as to whether this cultivar really is a form of H. aurantiaca[].
Individual flowers are very short-lived, opening in the morning and withering in the evening[].
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[].
There is some doubt as to the origins of this plant, it might have arisen in cultivation at Kew[]. It is cultivated in Japan, where it is believed to have come from China[]. It is quite possibly a hybrid since it is sterile unless fertilized by another species[].

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. The tubular flowers are about 7.5cm long and 13cm in diameter[]. Each stem carries 6 - 8 flowers[]. The flowers contain carotene and starch[, ]. The flower buds contain about 43mg vitamin C per 100g, 983 IU vitamin A and 3.1% protein[].

Root - raw or cooked. A radish-like flavour but not so sharp[].

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[]. Seed is only set if the plant is fertilized by another species, thus seedlings will not be true to the species type[].
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.