Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Rock Solid Daylily: Mauve and Purple Tones That Echo Lavender
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Rock Solid daylily lives up to its name as a reliable performer. Its rounded flowers, close to 5 inches across, are light mauve pink with an extremely wide dark purple eye, a matching dark purple picotee edge and a green throat. A high bud count on well-branched scapes and good rebloom keep it flowering from early July through late summer.
It has earned an Award of Merit from daylily growers, and up close the flowers carry a light, sweet scent.
Rock Solid at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hemerocallis 'Rock Solid' |
| Flowers | Light mauve, dark purple eye and picotee edge, about 4.75 to 5 inches |
| Foliage | Medium green, arching; dormant type |
| Size | Scapes about 27 inches; clump 18 to 24 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early July, peaks mid-July, high rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun to light part shade |
| Fragrance | Light and sweet, noticeable up close |
A daylily in lavender's colors
Most daylilies pair with lavender by contrast: orange, gold or red against purple. Rock Solid does the opposite. Its mauve petals and bold purple eye sit right in lavender's color family, so a clump behind a row of English lavender looks like a deliberate extension of the same palette. It is a good choice if you like a calm, tone-on-tone garden.
It also covers the gap after harvest. When lavender has been cut and sheared in July, Rock Solid is at peak, and its rebloom keeps purple tones in the bed through late summer. Daylilies tolerate heavier soil than lavender, so give the daylily the lower spots and keep the lavender on the best-drained ground. Try the layout in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Planting: soak the bare root fans, then set the crown about an inch below the soil surface over a small mound of soil, and water well.
- Sun: at least six hours for the best bloom.
- Water: regularly the first season; established clumps handle heat, clay and dry spells.
- Rebloom: snap off each day's spent flowers and pull scapes once they finish.
- Problems: leaf streak and leaf spot in wet summers; crown rot in soggy soil.
- Dividing: split crowded clumps every few years.
Fall cleanup
Rock Solid is a dormant type, so the foliage dies back completely in fall. It is fully hardy in Michigan. Clear away the dead leaves after a hard frost to keep the crown clean, and avoid spots where water stands in winter. The Care Calendar is a handy reminder for fall and spring chores.
Frequently asked questions
Are daylilies safe for cats?
No. All parts of daylilies are toxic to cats, so plant them where cats do not roam, or choose another companion.
Do deer bother it?
Deer are fond of daylily buds. Fencing helps in rural gardens.
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