Selecting the right companion plants for daylilies (Hemerocallis) is about creating a harmonious plant community that thrives together. The ideal companions will share similar cultural needs, provide aesthetic harmony through contrasting forms and textures, and offer extended seasonal interest.
Daylilies have bold, strappy foliage and vibrant flowers. Ornamental grasses provide the perfect textural counterpoint with their fine, airy, and often arching forms. This contrast makes both plants stand out. Grasses like Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) or Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) create a soft, moving backdrop that highlights the daylily's blooms. From a plant's perspective, many grasses are similarly drought-tolerant and sun-loving, reducing competition for resources. Their deep root systems can also help improve soil structure.
For a vibrant, summer-long display, pair daylilies with other sun-loving perennials like Coneflowers (Echinacea) and Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia). These plants share daylilies' requirements for full sun and well-drained soil. Their daisy-like composite flowers, held on sturdy stems, provide a different floral shape that complements the daylily's trumpet blooms. This combination creates a lively, pollinator-friendly environment. The extended blooming period of these companions ensures the garden bed remains colorful even as individual daylily blooms fade.
Introducing plants with gray or silver foliage and wispy flower spikes can elevate the entire planting scheme. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) and Catmint (Nepeta) are excellent choices. Their muted, silvery foliage provides a calming neutral background that makes the daylily's orange, yellow, or red flowers pop visually. The tall, airy spires of Russian Sage add a vertical element that plays against the daylily's mounding habit. These aromatic herbs are also highly deer and rabbit resistant, a trait they share with daylilies, creating a more pest-resistant plant community.
To achieve a classic, romantic cottage garden feel, combine daylilies with Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum × superbum) and Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata). The simple, cheerful white daisies provide a bright contrast to darker daylily hues, while the large, fragrant flower clusters of phlox offer another layer of height and texture. This grouping ensures a succession of blooms. All three plants enjoy similar conditions, though it is important to ensure good air circulation around the phlox to prevent powdery mildew, which is not typically a concern for daylilies.
Companion planting also involves the ground layer. Low-growing plants like Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) or Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina) serve as living mulches when planted around daylilies. They help suppress weed growth, retain soil moisture, and keep the soil cool. Their dense mat-forming habits cover the base of the daylilies, which can sometimes become sparse. The soft, fuzzy foliage of Lamb's Ear provides yet another textural element and helps protect the soil ecosystem.
