Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Blood Sweat and Tears Daylily: Raspberry Red Built for Cold Winters
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Blood Sweat and Tears daylily is an exceptional red daylily with massive 6-inch flowers in rich raspberry red. A wide rosy pink eye leads into a bright yellow throat, and a thin white line outlines every petal. The flowers carry a light, sweet scent up close.
It was selected in Minnesota, so cold winters are not a worry. Despite the name, growing it takes very little of any of the three.
Blood Sweat and Tears at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hemerocallis 'Blood Sweat and Tears' |
| Flowers | About 6 inches, raspberry red with a rosy pink eye, yellow throat and thin white edge |
| Fragrance | Light and sweet, up close |
| Foliage | Medium green, arching, semi-evergreen type |
| Size | Scapes to about 28 inches; clump 18 to 24 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early July, peaks mid-July, lasts several weeks |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Deer | Susceptible |
Red and purple, done right
Red with purple can clash, but raspberry red sits on the cool side of red, so it gets along with lavender better than an orange-red would. The rosy eye softens the transition, and the yellow throat adds a small bright point at the center of each bloom. Planted with lavender, the effect is bold rather than jarring.
The flowers sit just above the foliage on well-proportioned 28-inch scapes. That height works beside taller lavenders or just behind compact ones. Bloom starts in early July and peaks mid-July, right alongside the lavender.
Built for a northern garden
Being selected in Minnesota means this daylily was chosen in a place with harsh northern winters. In West Michigan, the bigger winter risk is wet soil, not cold. Give it the same well-drained ground you give lavender, and add a light mulch the first winter to prevent heaving. After that, it needs little help.
Season-by-season care
- Spring: clear old foliage as new shoots appear; divide crowded clumps.
- Summer: snap off faded flowers. Once established, it handles heat, clay and dry spells.
- After bloom: cut bare scapes to the base.
- Fall: tidy foliage and keep the crown out of standing water.
Leaf streak and leaf spot may show up in wet years; crown rot comes from soggy soil. All parts of daylilies are toxic to cats.
Frequently asked questions
Will it survive a hard Michigan winter?
Yes. It is rated for zones 3 to 9 and was selected in Minnesota. Good drainage matters most.
Does it rebloom?
Rebloom is low. Expect one main flush of several weeks in midsummer.
Is it fragrant?
Lightly. You will notice a sweet scent when you lean in close.
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