One of the most popular of summer flowers, daylilies have found a place in many gardens. Originally, they were grown as food and medicinal plants. Used for a tranquilizing and hallucinatory property, the young boiled shoots were often given to those in mourning. They can be simmered or stir-fried in oil or butter.
Some people compare the taste to creamed onions.
The flower buds and blossoms are considered the most delectable part of the plant. Their slightly flowery sweetness and mucilaginous texture add interest to soups and vegetable dishes. The tightly closed buds can be used in salads, boiled, pickled or stir-fried. The young buds can also be dried. Daylilies were among the very few ornamental plants brought to America by the early settlers and used in their homestead gardens.