Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 2781074

Orange Day-lily

Hemerocallis fulva

Also known as Tawny Daylily, Ditch Lily, Tiger Daylily, Corn Lily

Orange day-lilies form dense, sprawling colonies through aggressive underground rhizomes, easily dominating roadside ditches and field edges across temperate regions. Each funnel-shaped blossom opens at dawn and fades by dusk, replaced the following morning by a fresh bud on the same leafless stalk. Introduced worldwide as a hardy garden ornamental, it propagates almost entirely through vegetative root spread rather than viable seeds.

PerennialShowy FlowersInvasive Potential
Orange Day-lily reference1 / 7
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—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
  • White-tailed Deer
  • Eastern Cottontail
  • Slugs and Snails
ThreatsHerbicide applications and habitat loss in native Asian ranges
HabitatsRoadsides, ditch banks, field margins, woodland borders, gardens
Life spanPerennial (clones persist for decades)
Classification
  1. OrderAsparagales
  2. FamilyAsphodelaceae
  3. GenusHemerocallis
  4. SpeciesHemerocallis fulva
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Highly toxic to cats if ingested; keep away from pets and do not ingest wild plants.
Why it is dangerous
Contains potent nephrotoxins that cause severe and often fatal kidney failure in cats after ingesting any plant part.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Distinguished by long strap-like leaves rising directly from tuberous roots and leafless flower stalks topped with orange blooms.
What to do
Never bring cut day-lilies into homes with cats, and dispose of garden trimmings where pets cannot access them.
Responsible observation
  • Garden Management: Contain root systems in raised beds or borders to prevent aggressive spreading into wild spaces.
  • Pet Care: Avoid growing this plant in yards frequented by free-roaming cats or bringing cut blooms indoors.
  • Flower Watching: Check stalks daily in midsummer, as individual blossoms wither after twenty-four hours.
Related species
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