The Edible Daylily

   The daylily, Hemerocallis fulva, seems to only be appreciated for its beauty these days, but it also has another use.  Nearly all parts of the daylily are edible.  The most sustainable harvest are the flowers and flower buds, which can be chopped up and added to soups or stir-fries, or eaten as a garden snack.  The young shoots can be used much the same way you would eat celery or asparagus, raw or cooked.  If you want a more starchy option you can dig up the tubers; you can bake, boil, or eat them raw.  It is important to keep a few things in mind with this plant.  Some cultivated forms can cause gastrointestinal distress, as can too much of any part of the raw plant, so it's better to stick with the wild form cooked.  Secondly, this plant is toxic to pets, although I have had no problems with this myself.

  This plant is quite nutritious, being a decent source of protein, fat, and carbs.  It contains quite a bit of carotene, vitamin C, Calcium, and Potassium.  And when the flowers are dried they can be stored and added to soups later on.  If you want to use the fresh flowers you must pick daily, as the flowers only bloom for a day.  You can also pick the petals of a spent flower and dry them.

  These are not without medicinal uses.  The roots have been found to have some anti-tumor compounds.  The Flowers and leaves have a mild laxative effect, promoting good bowel health.  They are also considered to be anodyne (relieves pain), antiemetic (prevents vomiting), antispasmodic (relaxes muscle spasms and cramps), febrifuge (reduced fevers) and sedative (promotes calm or induces sleep). In Traditional Chinese Medicine this herb is also used to purify the blood.