Lemon day lily
Hemerocallis citrina

Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 1-1.5 m tall. It spreads 0.9-2 m wide. It loses its leaves in winter. The roots are rather stout and fleshy. They often have an oblong swollen tuber at the tip. The leaves are narrow and 50-130 cm long by 0.5-2.5 cm wide. The leaf sheath has red edges. The flowering stalk is branched. There are 3-5 groups of 2-5 flowers. They are purplish black in bud and lemon coloured when open. They are large and open in the afternoon and last about 1 day. They have a scent. The fruit is a capsule about 2-2.5 cm long and 1.2-1.5 cm wide.

There are about 15 Hemerocallis species. Also put in the family Hemerocallidaceae.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows on the edges of forests and in grassy fields. It grows from near sea level to 2000 m in N China. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. In Sichuan. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Pacific, Slovenia, USA

How it is used for food

The mature flower buds are gathered just as they open and scalded in boiling water, or steamed then sun dried. They are used in sauce or soup.

It is widely cultivated in China for its edible flowers, especially in Hunan. It is a priority under-utilised crop for China. It is sold in local markets in China.

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves, root, flowers - tea, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Citronasto rumena maslenica, Citron daylili, Huang hua cai

Synonyms

Hemerocallis altissima Stout; Hemerocallis coreana Nakai; Hemerocallis flava var. coreana (Nakai) M. Hotta; Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus subsp. citrina (Baroni) Z. T. Xiong;