05/31/2026
INVASIVE SPOTLIGHT: Orange Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)
Orange daylily is a non-native perennial originally from Asia that has been widely planted in the United States for generations. Many people recognize it as a nostalgic roadside flower, but in Alabama it can spread aggressively and form dense colonies that displace native plants.
❓How did it get here?
Orange daylily was introduced as an ornamental garden plant and quickly became popular because it is hardy, drought-tolerant, and difficult to kill. Over time it escaped cultivation through dumped yard waste, roadside plantings, and spreading root systems.
❗Why is it a problem?
Unlike many ornamentals that spread mainly by seed, Hemerocallis fulva spreads aggressively by underground tubers and rhizomes. It can:
~ Form thick monocultures that crowd out native wildflowers
~ Spread along roadsides, ditches, streambanks, and disturbed soils
~ Persist for decades once established
~ Reduce biodiversity by replacing diverse native plant communities with a single dominant species
It may look harmless, but those dense patches often mean very little else can grow there.
❓Where it spreads
Orange daylily thrives in disturbed habitats like roadsides, old home sites, woodland edges, fields, and stream corridors. It is commonly seen across Alabama and much of the Southeast.
💚Better native alternatives (Southeast / Alabama)
If you love bold orange and summer blooms, try native plants like:
~ Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
~ Turk’s cap lily (Lilium superbum)
~ Wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum) (where locally appropriate)
We have absolutely BEAUTIFUL native lilies in Alabama that outshine this plant in my opinion anyway… and I’ll be covering them in native plant highlights over the next few weeks!
