Hemerocallis forrestii
Family: Hemerocallidaceae
What it is like
Hemerocallis forrestii is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.4
Where it is found
Dry ridges and rocky banks around 250 metres. Forests, grassy slopes and limestone cliffs at elevations of 2300 - 3200 metres in SW Sichuan and NW Yunnan.
E. Asia - W. China in Yunnan Province.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
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.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 1
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.
Antidote: Counters poisoning.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Other
Rating:
The tough dried foliage is plaited into cord and used for making footwear.
Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.
How it is grown
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 the plant is actually a hybrid H. forrestii x H. 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.
Propagating it: 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
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.)