Mighty Chestnut produces 5 to 5½-inch flowers in a warm russet red-orange, often described as chestnut, with a deep burgundy eye and a gold throat. The broad, rounded, ruffled petals open wide, and the blooms are fragrant.
Strong, well-branched scapes carry plenty of buds in late July, and each flower stays open for 16 hours or more.
What it looks like
Flowers 5 to 5½ inches across with broad, rounded, ruffled petals in russet red-orange, a deep burgundy eye band and a golden throat, opening wide and flat. Each bloom lasts a day, but many buds open in turn on branched scapes rising to about 30 inches above a fountain of long, arching, strap-shaped medium green leaves. The foliage clump is about 18 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. At peak bloom rich chestnut-colored flowers are spread along the branched scapes.
Growing it with lavender
Its chestnut tones make a rich, earthy contrast to purple lavender in the same sunny, well-drained soil.
Care
Grow in full sun to light part shade (at least six hours of sun for the best bloom) in average, well-drained soil; once established it handles heat, clay and dry spells. Hardy in zones 3 to 9. Snap off faded flowers for a tidy look, cut bare scapes to the base after bloom and divide crowded clumps every few years.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Hemerocallis
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Flower color: Russet red-orange with a burgundy eye and gold throat
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Foliage: Medium green
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Growth habit: Arching, fountain-like clump
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Mature size: 30 in tall × 18–24 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Mid-July
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Peak bloom: Late-July
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Susceptible
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Pollinator value: Good
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.