Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
Happy Returns Daylily: Lemon Yellow Edging That Keeps Coming Back
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Happy Returns daylily is one of the most widely planted rebloomers around, and for good reason. It is compact, tough and early, opening clear lemony canary yellow flowers about 3 inches across in mid-June, then producing more off and on through the rest of the season. Lean in close and the flowers carry a light, sweet scent.
If you know the famous golden 'Stella de Oro', Happy Returns is a descendant with a softer lemon color, which many gardeners find easier to pair with purple.
Happy Returns at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns' |
| Flowers | Lemony canary yellow, about 3 inches, lightly fragrant |
| Foliage | Deep green, arching, about 11 inches tall |
| Size in bloom | About 18 inches tall, 18 to 24 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts mid-June, peaks late June, reblooms through late summer |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun to light part shade |
| Introduced | 1986 |
The right height for the front row
At about 18 inches in bloom, Happy Returns is low enough to edge a lavender bed without hiding anything behind it. Lemon yellow against lavender purple is a soft, cheerful contrast, less loud than gold. Because it starts in mid-June, it is often the first color in the bed, opening just before English lavender. After its big early show, it keeps sending up flowers here and there while the lavender peaks and after the harvest. It may pause during the very hottest weeks, then pick up again.
Both plants want sun and drainage, so they are easy neighbors. Lay out a border in the Companion Plant Planner.
Other good uses
- Containers: its compact size makes it one of the best daylilies for pots on a sunny patio.
- Mass plantings: a sweep of Happy Returns along a driveway or slope looks tidy and helps hold soil.
- Mailbox and curb beds: it handles heat, clay and dry spells once established.
Care through the year
Each flower lasts a day; snap off the faded ones and pull or cut finished stems to the base to keep new buds forming. Water through the first season. Happy Returns is a dormant type that dies back completely in fall and is fully hardy in Michigan; clean up the foliage after a hard frost and avoid soggy winter soil. Divide crowded clumps every few years to keep flowering strong. Watch for leaf streak or leaf spot in wet summers.
Good to know
All parts of daylilies are toxic to cats, so choose a spot your cats cannot reach if they like to chew plants. Deer also enjoy daylilies. Happy Returns is offered as a bare root plant; see the product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Does Happy Returns really rebloom?
Yes. After a heavy early-summer flush, it produces flowers off and on through late summer, especially with regular deadheading.
How is it different from Going Bananas?
Both are yellow rebloomers. Happy Returns is shorter, earlier and has smaller, lemonier flowers; Going Bananas has larger canary yellow blooms on slightly taller stems.
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