I've been tirelessly searching for edible varieties of day lily. Definitely want stuff that's confirmed edible(as in it was bought from a supplier as edible or you have successfully eaten a variety many times without issues but would prefer some literature on the particular type as well to be on the safe side) as I believe many varieties are considered inedible. I do have the regular tawny orange old fashioned day lily already. I know there is at least a yellow variety or two that are used as vegetables in Asia. There may in fact be more too for all I know. Definitely want pretty flowers in my plans to build an insanely immense food forest system and otherwise entirely edible/medicinal landscape project.
I'm new to the site and super excited to meet new plant folks! Looks like this place might be where it's at. Been long term on many plant forums but never joined up here.
Also looking for confirmed edible vegetable types of tiger lily, dahlias, and hostas too! Lots of odd ball plants to trade. I am willing to buy as well. Plants are my passion beyond my family!
Thanks for any help!
Edible day lily varieties
Hi DGrower,
I actually never found a daylily that gave me any negative symptoms after eating. I doubt you'll find too many varieties explicitly marked as edible - not because they aren't but because there is a lot of expensive bureaucracy involved to sell anything as edible, at least in the EU. I guess there are similar restrictions and requirements in the US. In fact, I see many well known herbs and vegetables sold as "ornamental only" with detail descriptions saying the complete oposite. Another set of regulations that's well ment - and made badly, as it favours bigger companies (who laugh about the registration fee) over specialist nurseries, who actually know their plants.
Hello and thanks for the reply! I did manage to get ahold of the orange standard day lily that's confirmed edible. Know there are pure yellow types that are edible and used often in Asian cuisine. Like you suggest I figure most hybrids and such are likely edible or at least not deadly toxic. I do like to know for sure whether the type I'm getting is explicitly known as edible.
Don't you just love bureaucracy that means to save us from everything bad? Often at the expense of personal liberties all while not really protecting you from said bad thing. It's fantastic... Not.
I have eaten a lot of daylily flowers. usually just to show people that they are edible. They are just flat out edible. A hybrid is just two versions cross pollinated. I don't know of any way that cross pollination between two edible plants would make one that is inedible