Hemerocallis Sugar Candy - Daylily

Daylily or Hemerocallis 'Sugar Candy' is a vigorous variety that produces medium-sized flowers with an exceptional, very bright colour. Its recurved petals, a light fuchsia-pink with mauve reflections, surround a wide, dazzling throat in an orange shade tending towards apricot. The plant forms a beautiful clump of deciduous foliage that will reach 85 cm (34 in) in all directions. Mid-season flowering, in July, with a tendency to rebloom in September. Very floriferous and robust, this perennial is easy to grow in any region.

The Hemerocallis genus belongs to the Liliaceae family. These are perennial and hardy plants with deciduous foliage and sometimes semi-evergreen. The 'Sugar Candy' variety, obtained in 1973, remains unmatched for its unusual, highly vivid colour. This variety forms a fairly dense clump that will reach 85 to 90 cm (34 to 35 in) in height, with a relative spread of 70 cm (28 in). Hemerocallis tend to spread a little when they like the soil. The flowers measure about 13 cm (5 in) in diameter, and the petals in this variety are both thick and recurved, delicately embossed and wide, with undulated edges. Each petal, a bright pink mixed with mauve, is crossed by a lighter central line, and the throat is bright orange. Each flower lasts only a day, but flowering is continuously renewed over a beautiful period between mid-June and July. The stems are robust and filled with numerous buds. The foliage is linear and semi-evergreen. Hemerocallis are plants with short rhizomes and fleshy roots that tolerate dry soils but are more opulent and floriferous in moist soil.

Very easy to grow, these plants thrive both in shade and in the sun. Some of them can be a bit invasive, so do not hesitate to divide the clumps every four or five years, preferably in autumn after, flowering. Hemerocallis is often called "the perfect perennial plant" because of its vibrant colours and its ability to tolerate any type of environment, and also due to its lack of modesty, as it is beautifully exuberant and blends well with other perennials. Plant them in generous clumps in the background of your flower beds. All summer bulb flowers can be planted alongside hemerocallis. 'Sugar Candy' can be showcased in a large bed of perennials or annuals, combined with grasses, beautiful foliage such as fennel or lady's mantle, and wildflowers like ornamental carrots, asphodels, chamomile, or Ammi visnaga, which will not overshadow the beauty of its flowers. On a balcony or terrace, large pots with a minimum depth of 30 cm (12 in) should be used, and dwarf varieties should be chosen. The flowers are edible: they brighten up salads and garnish desserts.