Daylily II

 Note from the Author: I previously covered Daylilies on March 17^th 2023

 

Tawny Daylily

'Gentle Shepherd' Daylilies in the afternoon sun.

An unknown Hybrid Daylily created by Rodger Mercer.

'Gentle Shepherd' Daylilies in morning light.

 

 

Common Name: Daylily

 

Other Common Names: Day lily.

 

Botanical Family: Asphodelaceae (The Day Lily Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Hemerocallis species

 

Description & Habitat: Dayliles are generally found in one of their hybrid forms in the urban landscape. Typically they will be a clump-forming herbaceous perennial which can produce flower stalks that are up to 2.5 feet tall in some species. Daylilies are native to Asia and parts of Europe and have become naturalized in North America. Daylilies are not a true lily and their genus name comes from the Greek words Hemera meaning day and Kallos meaning beauty. Speaking strictly in terms of Hybrid varieties Daylilies have leaves that clasp the central stem and are roughly lanceolate in shape with no discernable petiole. The foliage on hybrid Daylilies is almost always plain green and the leaves will be long enough to bend in the middle forming an arch. Flowers are borne on stalks above the foliage and depending on the specific hybrid’s traits there will a variable number of flowers per stalk but in general the individual flowers only last a day. Daylilies can be found in the urban landscape most plentifully along the roadside of the Interstate where they have been planted by the hundreds to help with erosion and for beautification purposes.

 

Special Toxicity Note: Unfortunately the entirety of the Daylily is toxic to Cats. This means the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase full of Daylilies poses a threat. A small amount can cause fatal kidney failure in Cats and this will manifest in less than three days. The toxin itself has not been specifically isolated but if you see the known signs of lily poisoning in your Cat get them to a veterinarian immediately. Symptoms include drooling, vomiting and loss of appetite in the first 12 hours or so. After this your Cat will display signs of kidney damage and will urinate more frequently and will suffer dehydration as a result. Kidney Failure follows within a day or three. Only early treatment at the first sign of illness can prevent permanent damage to your pet.

 

When & What to Harvest: Young leaves and shoots, unopened flower buds and Opened flowers and the tubers.

 

Edible Related Plants: Tawny Daylily (H. fulva).

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  There are a lot of plants called ‘lily’ such as Canna Lilies (Canna), Toad Lilies (Tricyrtis), Water lilies (Nymphaea) and Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia).

 

Recipe:  Sautéed Daylily

 

Ingredients:

    2 Cups of unopened Daylily buds

    1 Tablespoon salted butter

    2 Tablespoons olive oil

    Half of a red onion

    Harlem Garlic Pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry daylily buds.

2. Heat butter and olive oil in skillet and sauté onion until lightly caramelized.

3. Add daylily buds and sauté until softened.

4. Season with Harlem Garlic Pepper and serve with rice.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hemerocallis/

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=282203

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

-Numerous garden centers, nurseries, botanical gardens and order-by-mail/internet vendors sell daylilies of all shapes sizes and colors.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the Plant Sale at Smith Recreation Center on Slater.

 

Summer Vegetables:

Okra, Baby Bubba

Okra, Iraqi Bamia

Pepper, Ghost

Pepper, Serrano

Pepper, Hungarian Wax Banana

Pepper, Bull’s Horn

Pepper, Mad Hatter

Pepper, Purple Bell

Potato, Adirondak (Purple skin with blue-purple flesh)

Spinach, Egyptian

Tomato, Cherokee Purple

Tomato, Chocolate Cherry

Tomato, Brown Sugar

West African Njama Nightshade Greens

 

Herbs:

Basil, Holy

Chives

 

Flowers:

Balsam Impatiens

Batchelor’s Button ‘Blue Boy’

Batchelor’s Button ‘Black Boy’

 

Plants Coming Soon:

Green-Fruit Nightshade Greens

Gbognome Nightshade Greens

Rainbow Quinoa

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Perennial Ground Cherry

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is June 14^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

 

She was a Daylily, One way ticket, yeah

 

Welcome back to the Lost In the Farmer’s Market blog. As some of you have noticed the blog has taken on a more formal instructional tone to cover the wide variety of forage foods that you can find all around you. This change came about due to the events of the pandemic, economic turmoil and other factors. The reality is that we are surrounded with perfectly edible plants that can fill at least some of the void in our dietary needs but, there is a multi-million dollar herbicide industry that exists. It has always been in the interest of that industry to label certain things ‘weeds’ so they can sell you product that as time goes by we find out is worse for your health than the weeds are. Coupled with an Agricultural-Education system that peddles the myths of the industry and the old myth that if you can afford a nice lawn you must have wealth we have a population that has been fooled for a long time. So, here we are in 2023, and the forage foods series will continue. I hope all of you who read this blog find the information useful or at least thought provoking. The ‘weeds’ I am listing a certainly found in Zone 8A in North Carolina and should certainly be easy to find in the Southeast regions of America. Oh, and one funny thing discovered in last year’s blog, it turns out you can eat Crab Grass, and while it isn’t what most would call a lawn grass, I did state you can’t eat your lawn in last year’s intro. Detailed research is a funny thing since it has a way of proving even the experts wrong. 

 

 

 

While there are many Daylily hybrids out there the Tawny Daylily practically takes care of itself and looks like this.

In the landscape they aren't too space intensive but they do stand out.

 

 

Common Name: Tawny Daylily

 

Other Common Names: Common Daylily, Orange Day-Lily, Corn Lily, Tiger Daylily, Fulvous Daylily, Ditch Lily, Fourth of July Lily, Railroad Lily, Roadside Daylily, Outhouse Lily, Wash-House Lily (whew!)

 

Botanical Family: Asphodelaceae (The XX Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Hemerocallis fulva

 

Description & Habitat:  I should note that this plant is not a true lily and is not in the genus Lilium and it gets its name from the superficial resemblance of its flowers to true Lilium family members. The name Daylily comes from the fact its individual flowers last only one day each. This perennial and sometimes deciduous plant can be found growing wild in abandoned home sites, vacant lots and along roads and railroads. Tawny Daylily has arching leaves that are V-shaped in cross section that are a medium green color, it is best identified by its orange-peach colored blossoms however it’s tuberous roots which are white in color may be another good indicator. Tawny Daylily blooms roughly anywhere from late April into early July depending on winter conditions that year.

 

When & What to Harvest: You can harvest the tubers by digging u clumps of this plant and seeking only firm tubers that are undamaged. Flower buds can be picked when they are half to full size and you can pick flowers once fully opened or even when wilting.

 

Poisonous Lookalikes: Some guides say this plant resembles of Iris (blue or yellow flag), however remember Tawny Daylily leaves arch over and their leaf tip points to the ground or nearly so.

 

Related Edible Species: None known.

 

Recipe:  I do need to warn readers of one thing about eating Tawny Daylily, all parts of this plant even if cooked can cause a laxative effect. Therefore, Tawny Daylily can be a good cure in the field for constipation, but a dangerous thing to eat if dehydration is a problem.

 

Now with the warning out of the way, you can add washed raw tubers to salads where they will contribute a nutty flavor akin to water chestnuts. The tubers can also be cooked; all you have to do is boil them in salted water until they are acceptably tender and ten season with butter or whatever you have on hand. Daylily tubers might be a way to add bulk to mashed potatoes when you are short of other tubers.  As for the buds they have to be cooked, I recommend boiling them for a few minutes like you might do with asparagus and seasoning in the same way. Additionally, buds and opened flowers can be dipped in batter and fried, or simply be added to soups to thicken the broth. Do not eat the buds or flowers raw, they can irritate the throat and may cause additional reactions.

 

 

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but by booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Spring Garden Plants:

Broccoli, Imperial

Collards, Variegated

Kale, Beira

Kale, Lacinato ‘Black Magic’

Kale, Redbor

Leeks, King Richard

Mustard, Japanese Red Giant

Spinach, Green Beret

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

 

 

Coming Soon:

Expect other cool season plants soon, the warm season Lineup will be available in April.

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

 

Our group’s online presence has migrated to Nextdoor.com. All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (2): Japanese Painted Fern, Filming Out Take,

 

We have two meetings a month. We meet at LeClair’s General Store on the First and Third Thursday of every month. It’s an open-door meeting with no membership requirements just come on in and talk garden with us! Our next meeting is on April 6^th between 5:30pm and 7:00pm. We are in the back room so come on in and join us for a fun garden chat.

 

 

 

Tropical Depressions, Not a Problem.

Welcome back to another episode of Lost in the Farmers Market.  Today we have a bunch of garden photographs taken between the rain showers that are due to the current tropical depression situation. It seems the Hurricane season started early and refuses to relent as this is three weeks almost in a row where it’s been solidly rainy enough to prevent work in the gardens. But of course a lot of work has been put into this blog’s youtube channel LITFM Garden Shorts and as of this posting we have reached our thirteenth video which you can watch below.

But with the video covered let see some garden photographs, first up is a three-piece set showing the stages of flowering, and fruit set on a prickly pear cactus (opuntia ellisiana & humfusa). Since the Thorn-less Prickly Pear and the normal thorny variety differ only in approachability they effectively produce edible fruit in the same way as each other.

 

Prickly Pear cactus flowers are such a cheery shade of yellow.

Open flower with nearly ready buds and a forming flower bud.

After the flower is spent, these  odd protrusions form into the fruit, they turn red when ready.

This variety of Daylily (Hemerocallis sp.) is called ‘Gentle Shepard’…I think, it was slated to be in the memorial garden but that didn’t happen. Now it’s a part of the compass garden and this flower is starting to fade. You can tell daylily flowers are on the way out when they start getting those translucent patches in the petals. The clear spots mean the cells are breaking down and soon it’ll go entirely mushy. The rain is not helping blooms last unfortunately.

 

Daylilies are a lovely addition to any garden, but I prefer the classic types.

Irish Eyes Rudbeckia (Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’) was a subject of one of my recent videos called ‘A tale of Two Asters’ and here it is in full glory, which is ironic since they are commonly called Gloriosa Daisies. If you look close you can see the individual opened flowers in the central disk which is taking on a cone shape, proving that Echinacea and Rudbeckia share traits, and are probably closely related that their species should be merged.

 

Irish eyes, named for it's bright green centers is still a Gloriosa Daisy...so Green Eye Susan?

 This is the Aster video I did for reference.

For comparison here is a shot of traditional Black Eye Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), which also has the cone shaped center. Notice how it’s actual flowers in the cone open from the outside first and work their way inside to the center? This is a biological adaptation to stagger the maturation of its seeds so that they don’t all get eaten at once increasing survival chances. Tahis feature also reduces the amount of nutrient and energy needed to mature any one set of seed at any given time, basically economy mode for plant reproduction.

 

Commonly called Black Eye Susans, the name isn't a reference to domestic abuse as some have suggested, it's a reference to an English poem, I cover that in the video above.

Remember how I was selling a select few Shirogoma Sesame seed plants under the variety (Sesamum indicum ‘Shirogoma’)? Well this is what the plants look like and their flowers are surprisingly large and showy, almost like white New Zealand Impatiens flowers.

Yeah the flowers aren't open but the plant is cool to look at, not sure what I'm going to do with the harvested seeds though.

Now here is something you don’t see every day, I suppose since it was rainy this tiny little Mason Bee (Osmia sp.) was too wet to fly or just taking a nap. Either way it picked a good place because Signet Marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) clearly have no shortage of flowers and pollen. Despite what the Honey industry would have you believe, there are hundreds of pollenating species that can replace the introduced European Honey bee, agriculture wont collapse if they disappear. If they did perhaps Big-Agra would finally have to seriously reconsider how they’ve been doing things and what they’ve taken for granted.

 

This variety of Marigold is called 'lemon Gem' either for it's bright happy bloom color or that it's fully edible and it may have a lemon-ish flavor.

Last on this photo list we have an image of what the Zebrina Mallow (Malva sylvestris ‘Zebrina’) looks like in full bloom. I did say that it’s perennial, it’s leaves look like old school geraniums and so do the flowers…kind of!

 

Honestly, I've grown to like this mallow,the pink/darker pink color combo is really striking and once it started blooming it seems that it does not want to stop!

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but by booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog. Also, as of the start of 2019, my booth can now process credit or debit cards thanks to the acquisition of s a Square reader so your payment options have doubled. With that said, if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic vegetables, herbs and fruiting shrubs come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

Plants & Stuff Available Now:

Food Plants:

Amaranth – Early Splendor: $3.00

Okra – Baby Bubba: $3.00

Pepper – Assorted: $2.00 (Sale)

Tomato – Assorted: $2.00 (Sale)

Herbs:

Herb, Agastache – Golden Jubilee : $3.00

Herb, Basil – Eritrean: $3.00

Herb, Basil – Wild: $3.00

Herb, Basil – Holy: $3.00

Herb, Coneflower – Pow Wow Wild Berry: $3.00

Herb, Cuban Oregano: $3.00

Herb, Cuban Oregano – Cerveza & Lime: $3.00

Herb, Horehound  : $3.00

Herb, Italian Oregano: $3.00

Herb, Roselle – Thai Red: $4.00

Herb, Rue: $3.00

Herb, Sage: $3.00

Herb, Tansy: $3.00

Herb, Thyme – English: $3.00

Ornamental Plants:

Black Eye Susan – ‘Prairie Glow’: $3.00

Castor bean – ‘Impala’: $3.00

Cotton – Erlene’s Green: $3.00

Cotton – Mississippi Brown Lint: $3.00

Cotton – Red Foliated White: $3.00

Marigold – Pineapple Crush: $3.00

Marigold – Signet Red: $3.00

Milkweed – ‘Hairy Balls’: $3.00

Coming Soon:

[TBA]

Due to the current Covid-19 situation and the state’s requirement that all citizens are not to gather in groups of more than ten, the weekly Sustainable neighbors meeting is online. Please check the sustainable neighbors Meetup.com page for more info about how to attend our online meeting.

https://www.meetup.com/SustainableNeighbors/

Since our meetings have an open-door policy you don’t need to sign up for anything or join anything, you can come on in and join the meetings. If not, you can always send me questions through this blog or visit the farmer’s market. This brings to a close the eleventh LITFM post of 2020; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on the 26^th of June. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.