Don't Ditch the Ditch Lily

As you can imagine, I love nothing more than easy going, low maintenance flowers in my garden. Which is why it pains me when other fellow gardeners mock the ditch lily, or rather the tiger lily or orange day lily.

Every gardener has that space--a place where the soil is not quite right or difficult, weeds are prevalent and hard to control, or it's either too shady and/or too sunny. Or, all of the above. My soil happens to be a lovely mixture of clay, so sometimes it's about as easy as digging into concrete. It's these type of spaces where ditch lilies are perfect.

The tiger lily actually comes in two forms--Asian and wildflower. I'm referring to the wildflower variety that propagates through tuberous roots, requiring little to no attention at all. They prefer wet soil and don't mind overcrowding. I've also seem them work great on slopes and hillsides, and of course on roadsides and in ditches. Because they are so prolific, they can really work almost like a ground cover. Some call ditch lilies aggressive, but I wouldn't call them invasive.

It's a tough plant and tolerates just about any type of abuse. And, although its name would suggest otherwise, I think their long stems give them a rather elegant appearance, much taller than other day lily varieties.

Need some, want some? Rather than buying from a greenhouse or retailer, just ask around. You probably already have a group of friends who would love to dig up some and share. You'll be amazed how one small plant or two will fill quickly fill in a space the following year.

My collection of ditch lilies will be my end of summer/fall project, where I'll be moving them from the space they have outgrown in the front yard to a large, hard-to-grow area along the back yard fence (see pics).