Hemerocallis El Desperado - Daylily

The very glamorous daylily, 'El Desperado' has unprecedented colours, almost daring. A wine-coloured halo bordered with bright red is placed on petals of a beautiful clear yellow. This purple, almost brown colour of notable originality is found as a fine border along the entire edge of the flower. A Prize-winning variety by the American Hemerocallis Society for its numerous qualities, it is a robust plant with large flowers and long-lasting flowering. Semi-evergreen, it blooms towards the end of the season.

The genus Hemerocallis belongs to the family of hémérocallidacées. These are perennial and hardy plants with deciduous or semi-evergreen foliage. 'El Desperado' forms a tuft that will reach 70cm (28in) in height, with a spread of 70cm (28in). The flowers with fringed petals measure 12cm (5in) in diameter. Individually they do not last more than a day, but they are constantly renewed in August and September. The flower stems are sturdy and the linear foliage is thick. Daylilies are plants with short rhizomes and fleshy roots.

Very easy to grow, these perennials thrive both in shade and in sunlight. Some of them are a bit invasive, do not hesitate to divide the clumps every four or five years, after flowering, in autumn. Daylilies are often called "the perfect perennial plant", because of their vibrant colours, their ability to tolerate any type of environment, but also due to their lack of modesty. They have a beautiful exuberance that goes well with other perennials. Plant them in generous clumps in the background of your borders. Consider summer-flowering bulbs and the flexible habit of grasses to lighten up your compositions. If you want to decorate balconies and terraces with a daylily, you need to provide large pots of at least 30cm (12in) in depth and choose dwarf varieties. Evergreen cultivars are reputed to be less hardy but 'El Desperado' defies this adage, it perfectly withstands negative temperatures. The flowers are edible: they brighten up salads and decorate desserts.

Many varieties have been developed in Japan, where they are very popular. The flowers of these plants come in a wide range of colours and shapes. More than sixty thousand cultivars, mostly resulting from hybridization by gardening enthusiasts, are listed, appreciated and studied by international Hemerocallis societies.