Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Rocket City Daylily: A Tall Bittersweet Orange Classic
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Rocket City daylily has been around since 1967, and it has stuck around for good reason. It is tall, easy and long-lived, with big 6-inch bittersweet orange flowers marked by a darker orange eye. The crimped petals curve back gracefully, and the throat and midribs glow a lighter orange-yellow.
It is the kind of daylily you plant once and then mostly forget about, except in July, when it is impossible to miss.
Rocket City at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hemerocallis 'Rocket City' |
| Flowers | Bittersweet orange with a darker eye, about 6 inches |
| Foliage | Medium green, arching; dormant type |
| Size | Scapes about 36 inches; clump 18 to 24 inches wide |
| Bloom | Early July, peaking mid-July, single flush lasting several weeks |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun to light part shade |
| Deer | Susceptible |
Orange and purple, on purpose
Orange and purple are bold together, and that is the point. Rocket City's 3-foot scapes stand tall behind lavender, so the orange trumpets float above the purple spikes rather than competing with them. Because it blooms from early to mid-July, the two often overlap at peak, which gives you a few weeks of real summer fireworks in the bed.
For a softer look, plant a single clump at the back corner of a lavender row instead of a whole line. Daylilies handle heavier soil than lavender, so they are a good fit for the back of a bed where drainage is not quite as sharp. Arrange it in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Planting: soak the bare root fans, set the crown about an inch below the surface and water well.
- Sun: six or more hours for the best flowering. It is very heat tolerant.
- Water: regularly the first season; once established it shrugs off heat, clay and dry spells.
- Tidying: snap off faded flowers for a neat look and cut bare scapes to the base after bloom.
- Problems: watch for leaf streak in wet summers and crown rot in soggy soil.
- Dividing: every few years, when the clump gets crowded and flowering thins.
Winter and spring
Rocket City 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 keep it out of spots where water sits in winter. New fans appear in spring with no fuss.
Frequently asked questions
Does it rebloom?
Not much. It puts its energy into one long, generous July flush. Pair it with a reblooming daylily if you want color later.
Is it safe for cats?
No. All parts of daylilies are toxic to cats.
Will it hold up on a slope?
Yes. Daylily roots are good at holding soil, and tough older varieties like this one are well suited to sunny slopes.
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