The Day Lily Cottage

Daylilies are most often propagated by division, but they can also be propagated by proliferations and by seed. Seedlings of a daylily will differ from the parent, as any child might.

Daylily seeds are easy to gather, but not all seeds are fertile. Some plants may be sterile and never produce seeds, some may be fertile one way or both ways.

When seed pods turn brown and start to split, gently remove seeds. The best way to harvest seeds is to tie a bag over the flowers you have pollinated to catch the seeds, and leave the pod on the stem as long as possible. Seeds should dry (at least one month is recommended) before refrigerating or planting.

Germinate seeds approximately two weeks in any suitable germinating mixture. Cover seeds to a 1/8 to 1/4 inch depth. Place containers in partial shade to prevent drying out. Transplant when adequate roots develop and wait two to three years for a flower.

To properly hybridize a new registered daylily will take some patience and persistence, but since each seed-grown daylily is different from every other daylily in the world, even a beginning gardener can help create a brand new flower.

Day Lily Seeds