Are daylilies edible? Learn how to identify and harvest daylilies!

These vibrant and resilient flowers are not only a beautiful addition to edible gardens, but they can also be a delightful addition to home-cooked recipes (especially the flower buds!). Learn how to identify and use these delicious edible flowers in the article below.

Are daylilies edible?

In short, yes! I used to just admire the stunning blooms of these vibrant flowers. But, I was so excited to learn that every single part of the flower are edible. You can cook with everything from the tubers to fresh flowers and young shoots – And they’re all delicious! Get my daylily fritters recipe here.

Most often, though, I use the flowers much like I would squash blossoms. I love to stuff and deep fry the open flower for fritters or add them to salads for a pop of color. Or, you can serve the unopened blooms stir fried with a little garlic and shallot. Since they taste much like a mix between a green bean and asparagus, they are honestly quite versatile!

Learn more about edible flowers in this article by Colorado State University.

Safety first: Gathering the correct flower buds & How to tell the difference between daylilies and tiger lilies

One of the most common mistakes when seeking out these flowers is confusing tiger lilies (which are not edible) for day lilies. If you’re unsure of how to identify the different plants, read the safety tips below!

It’s super important to accurately identify new food! Here are the differences:

Daylilies

• Flower Petals: Typically have six petals arranged in a distinct star-like shape.
• Growth: Clump-forming, with long, grass-like foliage. The flowers on this plant will face upwards.
  • You will see many daylilies in harsh environments (which is why you may have heard them called the “ditch lily,” which is actually the name for the orange ditch lily or “Hemerocallis Fulva”). They are hardy and self-seeding, making them a great resilient flower for new gardeners.
• Flower Colors: Available in a wide range of colors, including yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple.
  • The most common daylily are the orange or yellow ones.
• Edibility: All parts of this flower are edible, including the tubers, daylily shoots, and both closed and open flowers.
• Culinary Uses: Used in various dishes such as salads, fritters, and stir-fries. They can be used as a replacement for other flowers like zucchini blossoms. The tubers are a great compliment to or replacement for fingerling potatoes, too.
• Blooming Period: Can have multiple bloom cycles throughout the growing season and bloom in the summer.
• Garden Use: Popular in landscaping due to their ornamental flowers and low maintenance.

Tiger Lilies

• Flower Characteristics: Large, showy flowers with prominent, dark spots or speckles. Wild tiger lilies are much smaller and delicate looking.
• Flower Petals: Typically have six petals arranged in a trumpet-like shape.
• Growth Habit: Upright, tall stems with lance-shaped leaves. The flower will grow facing downwards.
• Flower Colors: Predominantly orange with dark spots, though there are cultivars with variations in color.
• Edibility: Tiger lilies are not generally edible and are potentially toxic to humans and pets.
• Culinary Uses: Not used in cooking due to potential toxicity.
• Blooming Period: Typically bloom in late summer to early fall.
• Garden Use: Grown for their ornamental value and dramatic appearance in flower beds and borders.

And, as always, make sure to follow foraging safety such as never harvesting near high-traffic areas for vehicles, on personal property, or in areas where pesticides are used.

Conclusion

In conclusion, yes, you can try out eating daylilies! Lily flowers (and the rest of the plant) are completely edible. Since you can eat the whole plant, you can enjoy them all year round, whether you are harvesting shoots in the early spring, enjoying a flower bud in the summer, or are digging up tubers in the fall.

For this reason, I highly suggest adding these gorgeous flowers to your own garden and trying out your own delicious recipes. Plus, since the flowers last only a day, why not enjoy eating them after you’ve taken in the gorgeous blooms?

Just be certain you are not harvesting aa tiger lily, which is not edible.

FAQs about eating daylilies