Home & Garden Trees & Houseplants

How to Identify Edible Day Lilies

By Home & Garden Last updated Wednesday, April/24/2024

1). Analyze the leaves and stalks of the plant, which should both be hairless.
2). Make sure the petals of the flowers are orange, unspotted and face upward. There are varieties of day lily that have spotted petals, and these are not to be consumed.
3). Check the throat of the flower base, which will be yellow with a red band circling it.
4). Pull the day lily out of the ground and inspect the root tubers, which are also edible. Edible day lily tubers are the fleshy, yellow growths connected to the roots of the plant. Root tubers are where the plant stores nutrients that help it survive during the winter months and regenerate in the spring. Because tubers are nutrient rich, they are an essential edible for foragers in the wild.
5). Determine the time of year in relation to the climate where you are foraging. In southern climates, day lilies flower from April through June, while in northern climates, they flower from June through August.

Stay informed and read the latest news today from The ThatBiz Online, the definitive source for independent journalism from every corner of the globe.