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Daylilies are perennials in the genus Hemerocallis, and the family Hemerocallidaceae. They are native to Europe, China, Korea, and Japan. Most daylily species blooms in the morning and last only one day, although there are some nighttime bloomers within the species.

Daylilies have large showy flowers. They have three petals and three sepals. Each bloom has six stamens. The long leaves grow in a fan shape split in two directions, then droop over so that the end of the leaf is pointing downward. The original colors of daylilies include yellow, orange and pale pink.

Light shades of daylilies grow best if they have at least six hours of sun daily. Darker shades do better with less sun. Some daylilies will produce fertile seeds in a pod at the end of stems. Other daylilies can be separated at the roots. The thickening parts of the roots are where the plants store water.

D aylilies make wonderful naturalizing flowers and cut flowers. They can be grown throughout most of the United States since they are tolerant of heat and drought. Once established, daylilies will discourage unwanted weeds and grasses from growing under them.

Some daylily flower blooms are edible while other daylilies are toxic when eaten. In China, daylily flower buds are sold fresh or dried in stores and they are called golden needles.

Eatable lilies are in the genus Hemerocallis, and the family liliaceae. One example is the Stella de Oro. The lily buds are picked one or two days before opening and can be used cooked in soups or raw salads. They can also be used as garnish for fish and poultry. The yellow daylilies are said to taste the best having a sweeter, somewhat lemony taste.

View an image of daylily soup . Eating a small amount to start with is recommend, especially for persons with allergies.

Chives are in the genus allium and the family alliaceae. They were originally from Asia, and Europe, dating back 5000 years. Chives are the smallest onions in the species. They are beneficial perennial herbs that contain a sulfur compound giving them their onion flavor. In fact, many gardeners plant them in their flower gardens to help control pests such as the Japanese beetle.

Allium schoenoprasum is a common chive. They are often started from seeds that will form into bulbs. Most often the small bulbs are an oval shape, being taller than they are wide. Tufts grow from the roots to form clumps that can be divided in the spring or the fall. Chives can be grown in a sunny windowsill indoors, or they can be grown outdoors. The leaves can be harvested as needed any time of the year. They can be kept by dry freezing them.

The onion flavor is held in the leaves, not in the bulbs. The leaves of chives look grass like. They are slender and hollow. Used for flavoring, they are usually chopped and used as a spice, or as a garnish for fish, potatoes, soups, omelets, salads, and many other dishes.

Chives contain vitamins A and C, and they have very small amounts of sulfur and iron. They are beneficial for the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems. They also help to lower blood pressure. Caution, eating to many of them may cause digestive problems. The juices within the leaves have uses as well. Some of its uses are fighting fungal infections, mildew, and scab. The juice is also an effective insect repellent.

Most species of chives have lavender star shaped flowers. The ornamental blooms will appear sometime in April, May, or June depending on the climate. The flowers, also eatable, grow in clusters at the top of flower stems. The stems will be stiffer than the leaves. The flowers have six tepals, and there are usually ten to thirty in each cluster per stem. Both the flowers and leaves usually grow from twelve to twenty inches tall. After the chives bloom cut the leaves back so they are about three inches tall. The flowers of chives are often used in dry bouquets and potpourri.
 

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The wood sorrel is in the genus Oxalis. There is about 850 species in this group. The roots can be in the form of bulbs, rhizomes, or tubers. Shamrocks and wood sorrels are both in this group. True shamrocks include white clover, red clover, and black medic. With that said, one type of wood sorrel is often sold under the name "Shamrock" and is not considered a shamrock or clover.

The wood sorrel, shamrock, has pink flowers. Each flower has five petals and ten stamens. When it is ready to reproduce, the seeds are tossed away from the mother plant. At night both the flower blooms and leaves close. There are three leaves per stem that look clover like. They have a sour taste because they contain oxalic acid. The acid sap that the wood sorrel produces protects the plant from slugs. Moles also leave the shamrock alone. The root of this wood sorrel is a rhizome.

Shamrocks make wonderful border flowers. The leaves create a soft rounded mound and the small pink flowers hover over the foliage in abundance. The shamrock blooms from spring through fall. They are about eight to ten inches tall, and will grow in full sun or partial shade. These carefree flowers look especially nice along walkways, driveways, next to buildings, or the outer edge of flowerbeds.

 

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