Daylily Old King Cole

Hemerocallis 'Old King Cole' is a striking bicolor daylily that captivates with its unusual combination of medium rose-purple petals and ivory sepals, surrounding a lemon-to-green throat. This tetraploid variety stands tall at 80 cm and boasts elegant 14-15 cm blooms. Blooming in midseason, it reblooms to extend its vibrant display, making it a standout in any perennial garden.

Introduced by Moldovan in 1995, Hemerocallis 'Old King Cole' is a hardy dormant cultivar that thrives in full sun to partial shade. Its contrasting colors make it a showstopper in the landscape, particularly in mixed borders or as a feature plant. The red-purple and ivory bicolor, combined with a lemon-yellow to green throat, create a bold statement. For optimal results, plant in well-drained soil and divide as needed to maintain vigorous growth.

How to grow daylilies

Reserve full sunlight or light shade area in your garden to plant daylilies. Daylilies like sunshine so much but be careful, in hot areas, they do not grow well in completely dry soil on sunny place. Daylilies also like an average amount of moisture in the soil but will not be happy in soils that are water logged. Give them water regularly during their first one or two growing seasons. Their flowers will be larger and will bloom richer if regularly watered in the first part of the season.

When in bloom, feel free to cut the flowers for bouquets or even decorating of salads (as the flowers are edible). This will not injure your plants. While each flower blooms only a single day, choose stems with several larger buds.

After blooming has finished, leave the foliage in place, don't cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight and will provide nourishment for the next year's show. Your daylilies will need rest for a few months, before beginning the next growing season.