Hemerocallis 'MAUNA LOA'

Daylilies are flowering queens for one day. Each bloom lasts a day but there is no need to worry – every stem bears more blooms and as the plants grow older they have numerous stems each. This low-maintenance perennial is a miracle for those who have limited time to spend looking after their gardens because apart from occasional watering on hot and dry summer day it needs ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. And still it can leave us gazing at their beautiful, lily-like blooms of every possible colour you can think of (except for blue and black).

You needn’t be as rich as the king Fridrich I who had a unique idea in late 17th century – to make a room decorated solely with amber and gold called the Amber Room. It is often rated the 8th wonder and if you like the rich shades of amber you really don’t need to undertake a tough quest of finding this architectural jewel stolen by German Nazis during world war II and never seen again. Just look at this breathtaking daylily and you have all the amber shades you can wish for at hand. In is called Mauna Loa after the biggest and most active Hawaiian volcano. Large, firm flowers with slightly frilled margins, golden orange and rich honey colour will decorate your garden from late June until late July.

The leaves are deep green, strong and healthy. They appear early in the spring and persist until winter unlike spring bulbs whose leaves wither away after flowering. Apart from occasional slug attack there are no pests or diseases they would suffer from. Put your day lilies on a sunny spot and fertilize it for better flowering every spring, if you want to. It tolerates all types of soil, preferably it likes moist soil. Very hardy to min. -40°C (USDA zone 3).

Last update 15-07-2016