What to Plant With Daylilies: Enhancing Colorful Landscapes
What to Plant With Daylilies?
When it comes to planting with daylilies, there are many companion plants to choose from.
Some popular options include hostas, ornamental grasses like switchgrass and fountain grass, salvia, garden phlox, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy,’ irises, and Shasta Daisy.
These plants complement daylilies beautifully, adding different colors, textures, and heights to the garden.
Key Points:
- There are numerous companion plants to choose from when planting with daylilies.
- Popular options include:
- hostas
- switchgrass
- fountain grass
- salvia
- garden phlox
- coneflowers
- black-eyed Susans
- Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
- irises
- Shasta Daisy.
- These plants add different colors, textures, and heights to the garden.
- Daylilies complement these plants beautifully.
- The variety of companion plants enhances the overall aesthetic of the garden.
- Planting these combinations creates a visually appealing and diverse garden space.
Did You Know?
1. Daylilies are not only beautiful garden plants, but they are also edible! The flower buds can be cooked and eaten just like asparagus, adding a unique touch to your culinary repertoire.
2. In Victorian times, daylilies were highly sought after for their medicinal properties. They were believed to have diuretic effects, treating everything from urinary tract infections to kidney stones.
3. Daylilies are called “hemerocallis” in Latin, which translates to “beauty for a day.” This name perfectly captures the lifespan of a single daylily flower, which blooms for only 24 hours before withering away.
4. Mulching your daylily beds with coffee grounds not only enhances the soil’s fertility but also deters pests. Slugs and snails despise coffee grounds, making it a natural and eco-friendly way to protect your daylilies.
5. Daylilies have a close connection with Shakespeare! It is believed that the flower referenced in the famous line from Romeo and Juliet, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” may actually have been a daylily.
Hostas
Hostas and daylilies form a perfect combination in a garden bed or border. The vibrant colors of daylily blooms are complemented by the attractive foliage display of hostas. The variety of textures and shades of green in hosta leaves create a stunning backdrop for the lily’s slender, arching leaves.
Hostas are shade-loving plants that thrive in moist, well-drained soil. They can tolerate a wide range of light conditions, making them adaptable to different garden settings. Their sizes range from small to large, and their leaf shapes vary from heart-shaped to lanceolate. This versatility adds depth and interest to your daylily garden.
One of the benefits of having hostas around daylilies is that they help suppress weed growth. With their dense foliage, hostas prevent weeds from sprouting and competing with the daylilies for nutrients and space. Furthermore, hostas have dense root systems that retain moisture in the soil, providing additional benefits to both the hostas and the daylilies planted nearby.
the combination of hostas and daylilies creates a visually pleasing display that adds a touch of elegance to any landscape. Consider adding hostas to your daylily garden to enhance its beauty and create a harmonious visual impact.
- Complement vibrant colors of daylily blooms
- Provide attractive foliage display
- Thrive in moist, well-drained soil
- Tolerate a wide range of light conditions
- Come in various sizes and leaf shapes
- Suppress weed growth
- Retain moisture in the soil
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses, such as switchgrass and fountain grass, make excellent companions for daylilies. These grasses provide a vertical element that contrasts with the daylilies’ horizontal foliage and blooms. The wispy, feathery plumes of ornamental grasses add movement and a sense of airiness to the garden, enhancing its overall visual appeal.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a native grass that offers a range of colors, from blue-green to reddish-brown, throughout the seasons. Its tall stature creates a dramatic backdrop for daylilies and provides year-round interest.
Fountain grass (Pennisetum spp.), on the other hand, features graceful arching stems and soft pink or purple plumes that add a soft and delicate touch to any garden.
Besides their aesthetic value, ornamental grasses also provide several functional benefits. They help stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, and provide shelter for small animals and insects. Moreover, the movement of the grasses in the wind can create a calming and soothing effect in the garden, making it a peaceful retreat.
- Ornamental grasses provide a vertical element and contrast with daylilies’ horizontal foliage and blooms.
- Switchgrass offers a range of colors and adds drama to the garden.
- Fountain grass adds a soft and delicate touch.
- Ornamental grasses help stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, and provide shelter for small animals and insects.
- The movement of the grasses in the wind creates a calming effect in the garden.
Salvia
Salvia, with its vibrant and eye-catching flower spikes, is a fantastic companion plant for daylilies. The bold colors and upright growth habit of salvia create a striking contrast to the daylilies’ flowers, adding depth and excitement to the garden. The wide variety of salvia species and cultivars available allows for endless possibilities in terms of color combinations.
Whether you choose perennial salvias like Salvia nemorosa or annual varieties like Salvia splendens, they will undoubtedly bring an explosion of color to your daylily garden. Salvia flowers can range from shades of blue, purple, pink, and red, providing a stunning array of hues alongside the daylilies’ blooms.
Salvias thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. Their drought tolerance makes them an ideal partner for daylilies, as both plants can survive periods of dry weather without issues. Additionally, many salvias are known for attracting pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds, enhancing the ecological value of your garden.
Garden Phlox
Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) is an excellent choice to complement daylilies in your garden. These perennial flowering plants produce large clusters of delicate, fragrant flowers in various vibrant colors, such as white, pink, purple, and red. Together with daylilies, they create an ^explosion^ of color and fragrance that can transform a dull garden into a vibrant and inviting space.
Phlox paniculata cultivars differ in height, allowing for interesting height variation when combined with daylilies. One approach is to plant taller varieties towards the back of the border, followed by medium-sized phlox, and then daylilies at the front. This layered approach adds depth and visual interest to the garden.
Garden phlox thrives in full sun to light shade and well-drained soils. They are relatively low maintenance and resistant to pests and diseases. Regular deadheading of spent flowers can prolong their blooming period while keeping the garden looking fresh and beautiful throughout the summer.
- Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) is a fantastic choice to accompany daylilies in your garden.
- These perennial flowering plants produce large clusters of delicate, fragrant flowers in a wide range of colors.
- Create an explosion of color and fragrance in your garden by combining garden phlox with daylilies.
- Vary the height of Phlox paniculata cultivars to add depth and visual interest.
- Plant taller varieties towards the back of the border, followed by medium-sized phlox and then daylilies at the front.
- Garden phlox prefers full sun to light shade and well-drained soils.
- They are relatively low maintenance and resistant to pests and diseases.
- Regular deadheading of spent flowers can prolong their blooming period.
- Keep the garden looking fresh and beautiful throughout the summer.
Coneflowers
Coneflowers, also known as Echinacea, are a classic companion for daylilies. Their daisy-like blooms with prominent, cone-shaped centers draw attention and add a touch of charm to any garden. Coneflowers are available in a range of colors, including pink, purple, white, and orange, providing plenty of options for creating striking color combinations with daylilies.
The sturdy stems and upright growth habit of coneflowers make them an excellent choice for planting alongside daylilies. They contribute to the vertical interest in the garden, creating a dynamic and visually appealing landscape. Additionally, coneflowers are known for their ability to attract butterflies and other pollinators, contributing to the overall ecological health of your garden.
Coneflowers thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. They are drought-tolerant once established, making them suitable companions for daylilies, which also have similar requirements. To extend their bloom period, deadheading spent flowers is essential.
Overall, the combination of coneflowers and daylilies creates a delightful display that will brighten up any garden.
Bullet points:
- Coneflowers (Echinacea) are a classic companion for daylilies
- Their daisy-like blooms with prominent, cone-shaped centers add charm to the garden
- Conflowers are available in pink, purple, white, and orange
- Sturdy stems and upright growth habit create vertical interest
- Coneflowers attract butterflies and other pollinators
- They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil
- Coneflowers are drought-tolerant once established
- Deadheading spent flowers extends their bloom period.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What can I plant next to lilies?
To complement the elegance of lilies, consider planting vibrant and showy annuals like marigolds and zinnias. These colorful blooms will create a striking contrast and provide an extended period of beauty when paired with lilies. Additionally, incorporating delicate and fragrant perennials such as lavender or salvia can add an aromatic touch to your garden, enhancing the overall appeal and attracting pollinators to the lilies.
What likes daylilies?
Daylilies are adored by bees and butterflies, as their vibrant flowers provide a bountiful source of nectar and pollen. However, it’s not just pollinators that have an affinity for these beautiful blooms. Gardeners and landscapers also appreciate daylilies for their versatile nature and ability to effortlessly complement other plants with an informal growth habit. Their splendid foliage and vibrant flowers make daylilies a delightful choice alongside ornamental grasses, asters, echinacea, rudbeckia, and more.
How do you keep daylilies looking good?
To keep daylilies looking their best, it’s important to provide them with adequate moisture. While daylilies can withstand dry conditions, they produce more vibrant blooms when the soil is moist, but not waterlogged. Whether it’s through natural rainfall or regular irrigation, ensuring they receive about an inch of water per week will help daylilies thrive and maintain their beauty.
Can lilies grow with other flowers?
Yes, lilies can indeed grow with other flowers, particularly those that have shallow roots. The presence of shallow-rooted companions not only enhances the beauty of lilies but also helps maintain cool root temperatures, which is beneficial for their growth. For example, annuals, such as marigolds or petunias, make excellent companions due to their shallow root systems. Additionally, perennial plants like peonies, irises, and columbines, which also have shallow roots, can create a stunning visual harmony when planted alongside lilies.