I like daylilies but now I'm a little nervous about planting them.?

Question

I wanted to plant them in the rocks around my house. The rock is about 16 inches deep. But concerned that they may spread and get out of control. What perennials would be best? Something that doesn't spread. Grows upward. Easy care. I have alot of sun.

Answer 1

Well, daylilies actually do like dirt! :-) I hope there's rock with dirt between them?

Ok. The daylilies that get out of control are the wild orange ones, the kind you see by the roadside. The hybridized ones form nice clumps but don't seem to get into the bamboo-like pavement-raising lawn-invading behavior that their wild cousins exhibit!

Try a few. You can get ones that are deliciously scented, even, like the classic yellow called Hyperion. Note that the ones that produce huge double flowers take a little longer to spread, and they are really lovely. There are so many varieties it's hard to recommend just one, aside from Hyperion. There are even some that rebloom ALL summer, like the small daylily called Stella d'Oro, which is available at every garden center including Walmart. It is reasonably vigorous, but nothing like the wild orange. They are starting to hybridize it into various colors now, too.

Answer 2

Ideally you'd give more information about the rock -- is it solid or loose, stones, boulders, or pebbles? But, presuming that you do have soil, along with the rock, and that the soil has decent drainage and organic matter, then you can plant daylilies. They won't spread (but the plants can expand into good-size clumps so that over time you'll have more plants), they grow upward -- leaves up to about 2 feet with flower stalks on some varieties going to 3 feet. All they need for care is water and decent soil (soil with organic matter). They'll like the sun.

Answer 3

Daylilies do not spread that much. At least not for years and years. They never get out of control. Other perennials for sun would be rudbeckia, coneflower, asters, to name a few.

Answer 4

Daylilies don't spread, unless they are the wild orange ones we have around here. I have had them for many years and they are lovely this time of year. Plant them with confidence! You can split them as the plant gets bigger.

Answer 5

Depending how tall you would like your planting to be. I as a semi-adequate garden addict for over 20 years, would recommend Russian Sage (36" +) or Rock cress (12" tall) or even Portulaca which is basically a ground cover. All these plants are drought tolerant and non invasive. Hope that helps.

Answer 6

I don't believe daylillies would get out of control. However another possible choice is stonecrop. I happen to really like it - it is interesting before it blooms and attractive afterward too. It stays in a tidy clump, which gets larger as time goes by but it never gets out of control. It likes sun and does well during periods of drought too.

Answer 7

16 inches of just rock is fairly deep for them to climb up from the soil through. So plant them in 5-10 gallon containers buried in the rocks. This way you can run a drip line to each plant and not worry about spread or lack of planting medium. The tubs can be old wading pools or muck buckets so long as they have drain holes in the bottom.
I used my muck bucket after I put a shovel through the bottom.


Russian sages, Texas red yuccas and evergreys like lavender, Ballota and Cistus sp. are wonderful with the darkest red Hemerocallis as companions.
Remontant daylilies ‘American Revolution’, 'Spider Man', or 'Pardon Me'. 'Pardon Me' is cherry red, nocturnal and reblooming. Spider Man is bright red, remontant and diurnal.
http://www.tranquil-lake.com/catalog/Season/rebloomi.htm
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/21518/
To ensure a long season get early and late blooming daylilies
Early blooming flowers
http://www.tranquil-lake.com/catalog/Season/Extra%20early.htm
Very late blooming
http://www.tranquil-lake.com/catalog/Season/verylate.htm

Maximilian's Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliana) is a wild, mid-fall bloomer that blends with Zauschneria arizonica. A type of hardy hummingbird trumpet that blooms red-orange flowers.
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/55954/
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/search/products/?query=Zauschneria+arizonica&x=0&y=0

For a touch of rich true blue use hardy plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) or bluebeard Caryopteris 'Longwood Blue'
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31497/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/876/

Don't forget the spring bulbs buy tulip species that will be up and done before the hemerocallis get started.
http://www.vanengelen.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Bulbs

Answer 8

Have you asked the rocks how they feel about it they may be nervous too.

Try not to be afraid there just plants-worst case-they die, and you killed them. You'll have to find a way to live with yourself.


Poppies like to grow in rocks and look cool around a house.

Answer 9

There are two types of daylillies (hemerocallis.)............those spreading rapidly and slowly (years).......

.....the new varieties seem to multiply (spread) slowly. and stay in clumps ........an established garden center or catalog company with trained staffers can accurately tell you the names of slow spreading daylillies. They are great and nearly carefree.

Bye......... jf