Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Stella de Oro Daylily: The Gold Edging That Keeps Blooming
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Stella de Oro daylily is the original compact reblooming daylily and the most widely planted daylily in the world. Its small, bright gold flowers, about 2 3/4 inches across with mildly ruffled pie-crust edges, open on 15-inch scapes over a fountain of arching green leaves.
Each bloom lasts a day, often 16 hours or more, but the buds keep coming. It flowers heavily in early summer, then follows with waves of blooms into early fall.
Stella de Oro at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro' |
| Flowers | Bright gold, about 2 3/4 inches, lightly ruffled |
| Fragrance | Light and sweet, noticeable up close |
| Size | Scapes to 15 inches; clump 18 to 24 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts mid-June, peaks late June, reblooms into early fall |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun to light part shade |
| Deer | Susceptible |
Gold and purple: why the pairing works
Yellow and purple sit across from each other on the color wheel, so gold daylilies make lavender look even more purple. Stella de Oro's first heavy flush lines up with early lavender bloom, and its reblooms keep a band of color along the front of the bed after the lavender has been cut.
Its 15-inch height is the right scale for edging. It stays below most lavender spikes, so it frames them without hiding them. Plant it along the path side of the bed, leaving a little space between the daylily clumps and the lavender crowns so the lavender keeps its airflow. It has a long record as a dependable plant, including the American Hemerocallis Society's Stout Silver Medal in 1985.
Planting and care
- Light: at least six hours of sun for the best bloom.
- Soil: average and well drained. Once established it handles heat, clay and dry spells, but avoid soggy ground, which leads to crown rot.
- Deadheading: snap off spent flowers and pull finished scapes to keep new buds coming. This is the single biggest factor in how much it reblooms.
- Dividing: split crowded clumps every few years.
- Winter: a dormant type that dies back completely in fall and is fully hardy in Michigan. Clean up the foliage after a hard frost.
In wet summers, watch for leaf streak and leaf spot, and expect blooms to spot after heavy rain. A dry week puts it right.
Where else it shines
Beyond edging, it suits mass plantings, containers and slopes where its roots help hold the soil. A long run of Stella de Oro in front of a lavender hedge is a low-effort way to get months of color along a driveway.
Format
Stella de Oro is offered as a dormant bare root plant. See the product page for current availability, or the Wholesale Hub for larger bare root orders.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stella de Oro safe around cats?
No. All parts of daylilies are toxic to cats, so skip it where curious cats roam the garden.
Do deer eat daylilies?
They can. Daylilies are deer susceptible, so in deer country plant them close to the house or behind fencing.
Why did my Stella stop reblooming?
Usually it needs deadheading, more sun or dividing. Pull spent scapes, make sure it gets six or more hours of sun and split old clumps.
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