Do day lilies have seeds?

[Natty_Dread]

I'm growing several varieties of day lily this year, some Asiatics which I planted as bulbs and a few varities of Hemerocallis which I purchased as established plants. Two of the Hemerocallis plants, H. Flava and H. Pardon Me, have some blooms that never opened, and those bloom "pods" (for lack of a better word) have stayed green but are now hard. I broke one open to check it out and found what looked like small round black seeds inside. Are these actually seeds that can be sown? I've never thought of lilies as coming from anything except bulbs, but I guess the bulbs have to come from somewhere also! Any ideas what these things might be? Thanks in advance for any information.

Rhonda Alexandria, VA USDA Zone 7

****************** Each of us, a cell of awareness imperfect and incomplete Genetic blends with uncertain ends on a fortune-hunt that's far too fleet

[Pam - gardengal]

You are confusing daylilies with true lilies. True lilies, like the Asiatics (Lilium), are bulbs. Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are simply fleshy rooted perennials. All flowering plants will produce seeds, whether they are rooted or bulbous, but there is often a significant time lapse in achieving a flowering sized plant from seed when it is typically propagated by other means.

Plants MUST flower and those flowers fertilized to produce viable seed. Since daylilies have such a short bloom life (a single "day") it may be very easy to miss the blossoms, but for seed to form they most certainly did occur. You can sow those seeds and, if viable, they will produce a plant in due course, but you will get much faster results if you just divide the root crown of the existing plants. True lilies (bulbs) can also be grown from seed, but it is an extended process from sowing to a flowering plant and Asiatics will multiply freely once well established.

pam - gardengal

[Cereus-validus]

Daylilies don't grow from bulbs. They are perennials and are not closely related to true bulbous Lilies.

Since the individual flowers last only one day, the ones that produced fruit must have done so when you weren't watching. You should let the remaining seed pods ripen on their own. They will dry out and split open when they are mature.

Yes, you can grow them from seed but you should expect the plants grown from seed to look different from the hybrid parents and not all the offspring may be worthy of keeping if the flowers aren't up to par.

[Wil]

You are describing the seed pods of the daylily and not the bloom buds. Buds are more elongated and soft. Some types of daylilies make a slightly pointed seed pod but it is likely to be ribbed like a pumpkin. The Asiatic are not Hemerocallis they are lilium, true lilies. So I will not mix Asiatic into this discussion. I grow them but I am no expert on them and I do not grow them from seed.

The daylily H. flava is a species daylily. Pardon Me is a hybrid. All hybrid seeds do not bloom true to the parent plant. Those seeds can be any kind of daylily flower that shows the genetics of the gene pool in the genetic line of pod and pollen parent for generations. You can plant and grow daylilies from seed. The pod develops after pollen is placed on the stigma. The pod will continue to grow until it begins to darken and splits open. When the pod shows signs it is opening, it is time to harvest the pod. Let the seeds dry then plant or refrigerate until you plan to start the seeds.

If you live in a cold climate, you can direct sow the seeds late fall. Most hybridizers believe the hemerocallis seeds need a cold period to break dormancy. The winter can be the cold period planted in the ground or your refrigerator can be the cold period. They should be cold for about 6 weeks. That period of time is also up for debate. 4-6 weeks is a good period of time to hold the seeds. If seeds are held in the refrigerator until spring, you can plant them early spring in the garden, or you can plant them inside in potting soil and transplant the little plants in the garden.

If you break open a pod and the seeds are soft or white, the seeds are not ripe and probably will not grow.

Wil

[Cereus-validus]

Not quite, Wilber.

Hemerocallis flava is a later synonym for the wild species Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus, a fragrant self-fertile true species and one of the original ancestors of the modern daylily hybrids.

'Pardon Me' is a fragrant repeat-blooming hybrid with deep red flowers with a greenish yellow throat.

A back-cross with H.lilioasphodelus would probably lack most of the best characters of the hybrid. Seeds from self-pollination could potentially produce a wide range of flower colors.

[Wil]

Yes, it is H. species. Isn't that what I said? "The daylily H. flava is a species daylily. Pardon Me is a hybrid. "

Wil, not Wilber

[Cereus-validus]

Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus is the correct name for the species not Hemerocallis flava. Hemerocallis flava is not a valid name, you dim Willy.

[GrampysGurl]

Bet your mom is so proud too.

[Cereus-validus]

Bet that went completely over your empty little head, you twinkie!

[Wil]

Perhaps you should carefully study these pages and learn the difference between Family, Genus, Species, Cultivar, and Common Name. Then bring your paper back and we will let the teacher grade it.

Wil

[Cereus-validus]

You should try to read the ICBN and then go ask your mommy to explain it to you, dyslexic Willy-nilly.