Will Daylilies Grow In Pots: Tips For Growing Daylilies In Containers

Growing Potted Daylilies
potted daylily
(Image credit: F.D. Richards)

Daylilies are beautiful perennial flowers that are very low maintenance and high reward. They earn a rightful place in plenty of flower beds and garden path borders. What if you want to bring that reliable and exuberant color onto your porch or patio? Can you grow daylilies in containers? Keep reading to learn more about how to grow potted daylily plants.

Can You Grow Daylilies in Containers?

Will daylilies grow in pots? Absolutely. Daylilies are well suited to container life, as long as they have enough room to grow. The smaller the variety (and there are some small ones out there), the better they will be able to grow in a pot. As a rule, you shouldn’t plant full sized daylilies in anything smaller than a gallon container.

Caring for Daylilies in Containers

Container grown daylilies need lots of water. Container plants always dry out faster than their garden counterparts, and in the heat of summer you will have to water yours about once a day. Plant your potted daylily plants in rich soilless potting mix. Daylilies need full sun in order to thrive and bloom well. Place your containers in a spot that receives at least six hours of sun per day. More is better, though varieties that produce dark colored flowers will benefit from a little shade. Daylilies are very cold hardy, but container plants are always more susceptible to winter damage. If you live in USDA zone 7 or below, you should protect your plants in the winter. Placing your containers in an unheated garage or basement ought to be enough to keep them safe. Of course, the colder your winter, the more protection they will need. As soon as spring hits, you can move your containers back out into the sun to get them blooming again quickly.

Liz Baessler
Senior Editor

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.