Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Red Hot Returns Daylily: Cherry Red Rebloom After Lavender
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Red Hot Returns daylily is a newer reblooming daylily with ruffled, brilliant cherry red flowers, each lit by a bright yellow halo and an apple green throat. It sends up several branched scapes per fan, and the flowers sit just above the arching foliage like a ready-made bouquet. Each bloom lasts a single day, but each one stays open 16 hours or more, and the buds keep coming.
Red Hot Returns at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hemerocallis 'Red Hot Returns' |
| Flowers | Cherry red, about 4 to 4.5 inches, ruffled, with a yellow halo and green throat |
| Foliage | Dark green, arching, semi-evergreen |
| Size | Scapes 24 to 28 inches; clump 18 to 24 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early July, peaks late July, high rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun to light part shade |
| Deer | Susceptible |
Why plant it near lavender
Lavender puts on its big show in late June and July, then takes a rest after its summer shearing. Red Hot Returns picks up right there. It opens in early July, peaks late in the month and keeps reblooming, so the sunny side of the garden stays bright when the lavender is mostly foliage.
The strap-shaped daylily leaves also give a fountain-like contrast to lavender's tidy gray mounds. Plant a clump at each end of a lavender row or in groups along the back. Daylilies tolerate richer or heavier soil than lavender, so you can give them the slightly lower, moister spots and keep the lavender on the high, dry ground. Map it out in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting the bare root fans
Red Hot Returns arrives as a dormant bare root plant. Soak the roots for an hour, then set the crown, where the leaves meet the roots, about an inch below the soil surface. Spread the roots over a small mound in the hole, backfill and water well. A light mulch the first winter helps prevent heaving.
Keeping the rebloom coming
- Sun: six or more hours for the best flowering. It handles heat well.
- Water: regularly the first season; established clumps handle dry spells, clay and heat.
- Deadheading: snap off each spent bloom and pull scapes once they finish. That is the trick to steady rebloom.
- Watch for: leaf streak and leaf spot in wet summers, and crown rot in soggy soil.
- Dividing: split crowded clumps every few years to keep them vigorous.
Frequently asked questions
Are daylilies safe around cats?
No. All parts of daylilies are toxic to cats, so skip this one if you have a curious cat that roams the garden.
Will deer eat it?
Deer like daylily buds. In open, rural yards a little fencing or repellent may be needed.
Is it good for cutting?
Not really. Each flower lasts a day, so daylilies are best enjoyed in the garden.
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