The garden of Wayne Johnson and Bonnie Beresford in Alexandria, MN, is filled with unusual trees, shrubs, hostas and large flower beds. But Wayne’s favorite flower is the daylily, and his 2½-acre garden includes more than 370 daylily cultivars. But which are the best daylilies for northern gardeners?  

Recently, Wayne suggested more than 40 of his favorite daylilies and sent us photos. I put them together in a video, so you can see some of the best daylilies that grow in central Minnesota. Daylilies are a terrific plant for northern gardeners because they can handle our cold temperatures and they bloom profusely. However, for the best bloom, you should remove spent flowers every day. When the daylilies start blooming around July 20 in Wayne’s garden, he’ll often remove more than 300 blooms per day. His top day ever was over 700 blooms!  

More Daylily Tips 

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are one of the easiest plants to grow in the North and are a perfect “starter perennial” for new gardeners. They tolerate a wide range of soil types though they do like adequate moisture and well-drained soil, especially when first planted. They bloom best with 6 hours or more of sun per day. The more sun, the more blooms.  

You can plant a new daylily in spring or fall. Amend the soil with compost and be sure to give the plant adequate room. The clump will grow as it matures. Like all new plants, it appreciates adequate watering in the first year.  

Daylilies come in thousands of cultivars and are one of the easiest plants to propagate, if you want to get into plant breeding for fun. The cultivars come in colors from extremely pale yellow to bright red or purple so dark that it’s almost black. Wayne’s list of best daylilies includes  several that are bicolored or have deep ruffles on the flowers.  

The best daylily bloom time is in mid to late summer. However, daylilies can be purchased that bloom early, middle and late so you can extend your daylily bloom time. In Alexandria, July 20-31 is prime daylily time, Wayne says. You can cut daylily foliage back in fall or in spring.  

After a few years, the plant may get crowded and bloom less. It’s time to divide the plant—preferably in late summer or fall. Simply cut back the foliage, dig up the plant and using a sharp knife or garden fork, divide the plant into clumps. Each clump should have at least three leaf fans. Then, give part of the daylily away or find a spot for it in your own garden.  

This is a fun plant group to explore. Which are the best daylilies in your garden?  

Mary Lahr Schier is a long-time Minnesota garden writer. Read her story about Wayne and Bonnie’s garden in the Winter 2023 issue of Northern Gardener magazine. Check her website for more garden tips at mynortherngarden.com.