Occurrence and cultivation of the yellow-red daylily
The name Hemerocallis comes from the Greek and means something like "beauty of the day". This name is no coincidence, because the flowers of the daylily only live for one, a maximum of one and a half days. However, the plant produces new flowers every day, so the loss of each one is not noticeable. The addition fulva refers to the yellow-red color.The original range of the Yellow-red daylily is in Asia, where it was one of the standard plants in Chinese and Japanese gardens. After it came to England in the 17th century, the perennial flower quickly spread to the rest of Europe thanks to its easy-care handling and adaptability, where it can even be found growing wild today.
The plant has also been at home in North America since the late 19th century. In Germany the flowering plant is sometimes called Day lily of the railwayman refers to what indicates the possible place of growth of the perennial. Since the daylily is very robust, it not only grows on almost any soil, but also along roadsides, in open forests and on meadows. It also occurs in mountains up to 1000 meters high, in the countries of origin China and Japan even up to 2500 meters.
It can even be found in landfills and wasteland. She only resents waterlogging. Otherwise she is satisfied with a well-drained soil and a sunny location. The sunnier the place, the lush the flowers. Hemerocallis fulva also grows in partial shade. However, the place should not be too shady, otherwise the flower growth will slow down. Otherwise the perennial hardly needs any care.
Diseases and pests are rare. The herbaceous plant reaches a height of 90 centimeters. The yellow-red daylily is propagated either through rhizomes or through insect pollination. Every now and then there are so-called subsidence on the stems, from which clones are formed. When they have fallen off, independent plants form from them. The flowering period extends from May to October.
Effect & application
The yellow-red daylily is particularly known and popular as an ornamental plant. The usefulness of this perennial plant is less known. In their native Asia, it is not only a medicinal plant and food, but it was also used to make ropes and shoes. The daylily is still in demand as a food, especially since the entire plant, apart from the stem, can be used.
The thicker parts of the roots taste nutty and can be cooked like potatoes. Young leaf shoots serve as vegetables and can be eaten raw and cooked. The ripe leaves are suitable for salads. And even the large flowers serve as a spice, dried or fresh. Green flower buds taste good cooked and steamed in oil or sprinkled raw on cream cheese.
The seeds can be ground or crushed as a soup seasoning. In Asian cuisine, powder is made from yellow-red daylilies, which is used to color pork, duck or other foods. However, it should be used sparingly, otherwise the food will quickly taste bitter.
Importance for health, treatment & prevention
In Asia, the yellow-red daylily is not only popular in the kitchen, but also a valued natural remedy and a natural source of vitamins. The leaves of the perennial plant contain vitamins A and C, the trace element iron, very strong antioxidants such as phlomuroside, roseoside and lariciresinol, as well as quercetin, isorhamnetin glycosides, pinnatannin derivatives and choline.
The above-ground part of the perennial contains the saponins Hemerosid A and B. The antraquinone derivatives in the roots have shown a cancer-inhibiting effect in laboratory tests. In contrast to Asia, the yellow-red daylily does not play a role in medicine in Europe. In naturopathy, it can only be found in Bach flower therapy.
There it is one of the special plant essences that are collected at certain locations across Europe. The Bach flower essence from the yellow-red daylily is used for mental problems. The cosmetics industry also makes use of plant extracts and uses them for some skin care products. In Asia, on the other hand, the yellow-red daylily is still of great importance and is used for various diseases.
Traditional Chinese Medicine values the health benefits of Hemerocallis. The daylily flowers are used for insomnia. Tuberculosis and roundworm infections are treated with the rhizome of the perennial plant.
In Korea, the roots of the yellow-red daylily are used to treat constipation and pneumonia. The root juice is also certified as having a healing effect: it is given as an immediate remedy for arsenic poisoning. Cell extracts from the root are said to help with cancer by preventing cancer cells from multiplying.
A tea brew from the roots is said to have a diuretic effect. Caution is advised when consuming daylily roots, because overdosing can lead to symptoms of poisoning and have a laxative effect. The yellow-red daylily is very poisonous for cats, which are threatened with acute kidney failure even with a small intake. Dogs are also at risk. After consuming the lilies, however, they only vomit and have gastrointestinal complaints.
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