Citron Daylily is a fragrant nocturnal species that brings an unexpected elegance to perennial borders. Native daylily genetics shine through in this variety, which produces 6-inch trumpet-shaped blooms in lemon yellow that open near sunset and close by morning. Reaching 36 to 48 inches tall with arching, blade-like foliage, it thrives in hardiness zones 3 through 9 and handles everything from full sun to partial shade with minimal fuss. The genus name itself tells the plant's story: hemera (day) and kallos (beauty), a poetic reminder that each flower lasts but a single day.
Partial Sun
Moderate
3-9
48in H x 24in W
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Moderate
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The nocturnal bloom cycle sets Citron Daylily apart from most garden daylilies. Flowers open in the evening to release a powerful fragrance and close the following morning, creating a unique rhythm for evening garden walks or night-blooming garden designs. The thick, vigorous clumps of long arching leaves provide structure and texture even when flowers have faded. Butterflies find their way to these blooms, and the plant tolerates urban conditions, erosion-prone slopes, and rabbit pressure without complaint.
Citron Daylily serves as both a landscape specimen and a wildlife garden asset. The fragrant evening blooms make it particularly suited to gardens designed for nighttime viewing or scent gardens meant for dusk enjoyment. In mixed perennial borders, its vertical form and long bloom period provide structure from June through July. The flowers attract butterflies during their open window, supporting pollinator populations in cultivated landscapes.
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Remove flower scapes once blooming has completed to maintain a neat appearance. Deadhead individual spent flowers daily during the June to July bloom season. Cut back foliage in late fall or early spring to remove any winter-damaged or yellowed leaves and to tidy the clump before new growth emerges.
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“Hemerocallis citrina represents the wild genetic heritage preserved within cultivated daylily collections. As a species form rather than a modern hybrid, it carries the genetic purity of plants that have evolved over centuries. The nocturnal blooming behavior hints at its original ecological niche: flowers evolved to open in evening hours, likely to attract night-pollinating moths in its native habitat. By growing Citron Daylily, gardeners maintain a direct connection to the ancestral daylily genetics that modern breeders have used to create thousands of hybrid varieties.”