Removal of railroad lillies

Question: My front yard is being invaded by day lillies. I would like to remove and replace with native flowers. What is the best way to remove and what are good replacements that are native and will add color? I have a row of black-eyed Susans behind the lillies already. They are not blooming as i think the lillies block their sun. This area receives 3-4 hours of direct sun because of shade from overhead trees

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 27, 2023, 12:09 PM EDT
response: Black-eyed Susans thrive in full sun so while competition for light and growing space from the invasive Daylilies may be playing a role, we think the greater issue is shade from the nearby tree. If you can, moving the Black-eyed Susans into full sun (6-8 or more hours of direct light) should allow them to flower to their fullest potential.  A perennial weed like those Daylilies would require physical removal or spot-treatment with a systemic herbicide that will kill the roots. Since they are growing among desirable plants, other chemical-free approaches like smothering will not work or be practical to try. A systemic often uses glyphosate but any active ingredient that is labeled for use on perennial weeds in garden beds should work, though be advised that signs of dieback may not appear for several days after treatment, and more than one treatment for tough plants may be needed before they fully succumb.  As for replacements, for a part-sun area, there are still lots of options; too many to list them all, but we'll offer some starter ideas and link to some resources you can search. We'll assume for now that deer browsing is not an issue since they love Daylilies and Hosta and they don't appear damaged. Most of the local native shade-tolerant (woodland or woods-edge) species bloom in spring, but you can also use foliage texture and color differences to add interest even if blooms are sporadic by summer. Ferns and sedges (Carex, the grass-like perennials that do well in semi-shade) are great for adding texture among bolder-leaved perennials or low shrubs. Some of the species below might self-seed unless dead-headed, but any excess seedlings can be easily removed. Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)Violets (Viola, many species)dwarf cultivars of Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) because the wild types grow too large and would block the Camellias from viewCrested Iris (Iris cristata)White Wood Aster (Aster divaricatus, renamed Eurybia divaricata) and Blue Wood Aster (Aster cordifolius, renamed Symphyotrichum cordifolium); unlike most asters that require full sun, these two do well in part shadeWoodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata) and Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera, not to be confused with Moss Phlox, Phlox subulata, that is sometimes given the same common name which prefers full sun)Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)Skullcap (Scutellaria, several species)Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), especially the wild type or "lacecap"-flowered cultivars (not the more sterile-flowered "mophead" types) since they have fertile flowers attractive to bumble bees and other pollinators; not a super short shrub but there might be compact cultivarsBlue Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum, renamed Conoclinium coelestinum) and White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum, renamed Ageratina altissima)useful native plant reference lists:Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay WatershedNative Plants of MarylandNative Plants for Northern Virginia (still applicable here)  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 27, 2023, 12:36 PM EDT
response: Thank you very much. This is wonderful information!Sent from my iPhone On Jun 27, 2023, at 12:09 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 28, 2023, 2:41 PM EDT
response: You're welcome!