Consider the Daylilies...and then EAT them!

The garden variety common orange daylily.
For those who don't know and want to, the daylily is a flowering plant in the genus Hemerocallis (NOT a true lilium).

If you do any gardening in most any part of the US, you already know that these are everywhere, to the point of sometimes being considered invasive or downright obnoxious.
Good thing!  Because if something ever happened and all the grocery stores and convenience stores and organic specialty stores all closed down, at least we would still be well-fed!

Yes, the daylily is beautiful...and DELICIOUS!

This particular specimen (photo above) is one of the hundreds of blooms put on proud display just outside my apartment.  And the unopened bud right next to the open bloom in this photo is probably one that became part of my dinner just after the photo was taken.

I never knew!  For years I've seen these flowers everywhere, and I've pulled up my fair share of them. Until last year, when I really started to take notice on what "invasives" and "weeds" were actually edible nutritious gold-mines, I would hardly give these orange beauties a second look.
Now I know!

What can you eat?
Let's start from the bottom.  The tubers (which is one way to positively identify this plant, lest you put something more toxic in your belly), resemble tiny new potatoes (after the dirt is removed) and can be used like tiny new potatoes.  No need to kill the plant.  Dig up a plant, cut off the healthiest and largest tubers, and then stick the plant back in the ground to continue growing and reproducing this orange-gold treasure trove.  The tubers are best eaten during autumn through spring.  Otherwise they turn to mush - not fond of eating mushy tubers.

Cut off any roots, give them a good wash (no need to remove the thin skin), and cook them in whatever way seems good to you.

Disclaimer:  I am NOT a cook.  I don't enjoy it.  I only do it to live.  No recipes on this blog (unless some guest blogger materializes with some great recipes to share).  

I will tell you that I have used them in soup (yum) and have sauteed them in a skillet with garlic (yum). Let your imaginations run wild!

Next up, the tender young baby leaves (which is another way to positively identify this plant - no true lilies please!).  These can be used raw in salads or cooked (stir-fry, soups, etc).  They are best when young and small, usually pulled from the center of the leaf group.

Young leaves and unopened
flower buds from my daylily patch.

A little higher up, the unopened flower buds.  I think these and the tubers are my favorites.  Snap them off the flower stem, cut off the green ends where they were attached, and cook them like string beans, or like asparagus, or stir fry, or in soups, or pop them in your mouth raw...the possibilities are endless.

The opened blossoms are also edible.

Before you go daylily hunting, be double and triple-sure that you have the right plant.  Check other sources that deal with edibles to help identify the correct plant.  And inform yourselves of which look-alikes might be toxic or dangerous.

Just to clarify, I am only writing about the orange common daylily.
I have never tried nor know any details about whether or not other varieties or colors are edible.

And I should also warn you as I've been warned - apparently about 5 percent of the population are allergic to daylilies (gladly, I'm not one of them!) so proceed with a bit of caution at first...just in case.

No daylilies in your garden (you and maybe three other people in the world!)?
No problem!  Ask you neighbor for a starter plant or dozen.  Don't eat the whole thing right away...let it start doing it's invasive thing for awhile (well, maybe a little nibble here and there).

Consider the Daylilies...and thoroughly enjoy them!