Published: June 27, 2009 11:44 pm         

Day lilies are good to grow in Oklahoma

At this time of year, between the heat, humidity, rain and lack of rain, we are looking for plants that will grow and be beautiful without a lot of care and tending.

May I suggest a reliable perennial — day lilies. The day lily (hemerocallis) can grow for years with a minimum of effort on your part. They look like a very attractive grass in June, July and August. Depending on the species, they have a splendor of flowers for weeks. They come in many colors from white to yellow, gold, orange, red and purple with many shades in between.

The intensity of their blooms depends on the soil they are grown in, the rain and the amount of sun they receive daily.

You need to remove the dead or dying flower heads (deadheading) daily. This keeps the blooming vigorous. This also gives you the opportunity each day to enjoy the flowers and be able to keep up with the other plants in your garden.

Deadheading is essential to many plants in order to keep an attractive show of color all season.

The day lily and many other varieties of lily were brought to the United States in the early 1800s by botanists who accompanied our ships that went to China, Japan and Korea during many trips of exploration of commerce during that period of our history.

Since then, many oriental products have come to our shores. Besides flowers and art, we also have imported Pekinese, Akita and many other breeds of dogs, as well as koi (fish), fabrics (silk) and China dishes of many kinds and types.

Today, “Made in China” is a common sight on many products we use every day. However, day lilies came from all areas of the Orient and bring many lovely and easy-to-grow flowers and trees we enjoy in our yards and gardens, public and private.

This fall, I urge you to consider day lilies, cannas and many other beautiful bulbs and rhizomes, which grow so well in this area of Oklahoma.



Grimm is a member of Garfield County Master Gardeners.