# Day lilies: poisonous or not?



## kimber_lee_314 (Jun 6, 2010)

I keep finding congflcting information about day lilies. Are the flowers safe for the tortoises or not? Does anyone actually feed these?


----------



## Tom (Jun 6, 2010)

I thought all the lillies were toxic to some degree, but I'm no expert. I do not feed them to mine.


----------



## kimber_lee_314 (Jun 6, 2010)

The CTTC "Edible Landscaping" page says they are okay, but other sites say no. I have a ton of these in my front yard just waiting to be gobbled up if I can verify their safety.


----------



## stells (Jun 6, 2010)

Day lily flowers are fine in moderation.... mine have had them and enjoyed... all other lilies are toxic


----------



## Seiryu (Jun 6, 2010)

stells said:


> Day lily flowers are fine in moderation.... mine have had them and enjoyed... all other lilies are toxic



Are the leaves OK also? I have hundreds of huge day lillies in my yard. I have always read day lillies were OK.

I plan to use them in my new outdoor enclosure project, but won't if for some reason the sites I viewed were not correct.


----------



## stells (Jun 6, 2010)

Just the flowers should be fed...


----------



## Tom (Jun 6, 2010)

Thank you for the clarification Kelly. I was only a little wrong this time. I'm getting better with the plants.


----------



## kimber_lee_314 (Jun 6, 2010)

Thanks! I have been searching the internet all day - some sites say even humans can eat them while others say that it will cause kidney damage! So confusing!


----------



## DeanS (Jun 6, 2010)

I think I'll just take a pass on ALL lillies...then I have NO WORRIES!


----------



## Itort (Jun 6, 2010)

Daylilies are fine. They have been used in Oriental cooking for centuries. Just be sure they are daylilies not lilies like Easter lilies (daylily blossums only last a day).


----------



## terryo (Jun 6, 2010)

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=105

I use this site a lot. I have a few bunches in Pio's enclosure, but he never touches them....just sits under them sometimes.


----------



## Missy (Jun 6, 2010)

I read somewhere that the yellow ones are safe and I was planning to add them to Tanks pen.


----------



## Seiryu (Jun 7, 2010)

Itort said:


> Daylilies are fine. They have been used in Oriental cooking for centuries. Just be sure they are daylilies not lilies like Easter lilies (daylily blossums only last a day).



I thought so too. When I first joined the forum last year, I asked if day lilies were fine. Some of the more experienced keepers said yes they were indeed fine. Just make sure it wasn't the Asiatic Lily.

I googled some things yesterday and like just about every other topic, there are a lot of conflicting answers. I think most people classify Day Lilies as "Lilies" and don't realize there's a difference. Not saying anyone here has done that, but it sure seems that way on the web.

Day Lily Wikipedia says _nothing_ about Day Lilies specifically being toxic, but says that some species of Lilies are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylily


----------



## Jacqui (Jun 7, 2010)

I personally have daylilies planted in all my enclosures. I love them because they are so hardy, make great natural hiding spots, and come with blooms in so many beautiful colors. None of my tortoises eat them. Even my piggies (the Russians) never touch them.


----------



## Maggie Cummings (Jun 7, 2010)

Don't mean to contradict anyone, I am too sick to stay here long so I haven't read these posts. The yellow and the orange day lilies are fine. Bob loves them and will actually jump up in the air and click his heels when I start feeding him the blooms in Spring. He's watching his big plant for blooms now. It is just starting to form blooms. The Asiatic lilies are toxic. Those are the beautiful lilies that come up on one stalk. I'll look and see if I have a picture of them. I have pneumonia and refused to stay in the hospital. Did one of those left against doctors advice things. So will look for a picture if I don't come back it means I couldn't find one and hadda go lay down.



maggie3fan said:


> Don't mean to contradict anyone, I am too sick to stay here long so I haven't read these posts. The yellow and the orange day lilies are fine. Bob loves them and will actually jump up in the air and click his heels when I start feeding him the blooms in Spring. He's watching his big plant for blooms now. It is just starting to form blooms. The Asiatic lilies are toxic. Those are the beautiful lilies that come up on one stalk. I'll look and see if I have a picture of them. I have pneumonia and refused to stay in the hospital. Did one of those left against doctors advice things. So will look for a picture if I don't come back it means I couldn't find one and hadda go lay down.



Day lilies







my beautiful gladiolus





Guess who...





Asiatic lilies









Sorry about the double post but when I click on my picture number it closes out my TFO and my images. Guess it's time to stop this and go lay down. Asiatic lilies grow on one tall stalk, not a bush like day lilies...hope this helps cuz it sure was difficult. Don't know what's wrong with my computer and don't wanna find out right now...look how small Bob was...hahaha


----------



## Itort (Jun 7, 2010)

Thank you Maggie, the pictures illustrate very well the difference between the two. My wife was very much into daylilies and had multiple varieties including purples and limes. She also had many recipes for them from daylily societies and breeders. I had a 14" lawnmower to mow between clumps (at one point I would have invited Bob to help LOL).


----------



## DeanS (Jun 7, 2010)

terryo said:


> http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=105
> 
> I use this site a lot. I have a few bunches in Pio's enclosure, but he never touches them....just sits under them sometimes.



Yeah! I like it too! When I first found it, I thought it was going to show plans for making tortoise tables but found it to be a far more useful resource.


----------



## Maggie Cummings (Jun 7, 2010)

Itort said:


> Thank you Maggie, the pictures illustrate very well the difference between the two. My wife was very much into daylilies and had multiple varieties including purples and limes. She also had many recipes for them from daylily societies and breeders. I had a 14" lawnmower to mow between clumps (at one point I would have invited Bob to help LOL).



She has purple? Oh my I would love some seeds if she gets some. Purple is my favorite color and to have a large purple day lily bush would be wonderful. Would she sell me some seeds? I didn't know there were different colors like that. Oh boy I need to find seeds...Thanks so much for telling me about the different colors...


----------



## Itort (Jun 7, 2010)

maggie3fan said:


> Itort said:
> 
> 
> > Thank you Maggie, the pictures illustrate very well the difference between the two. My wife was very much into daylilies and had multiple varieties including purples and limes. She also had many recipes for them from daylily societies and breeders. I had a 14" lawnmower to mow between clumps (at one point I would have invited Bob to help LOL).
> ...


Unforunately she passed in 2007 and I sold the place. Growing daylilies from seed is difficult plus I don't think they breed true. Most horticultural varieties are produced through vegetative cuttings. I'll see if the grower shipps (they are in western Ill).


----------



## Missy (Jun 7, 2010)

Maggie is correct, beautiful pics.


----------



## Itort (Jun 7, 2010)

Here's a link for more unusual colors/types: www.hornbakergardens.com


----------



## Maggie Cummings (Jun 7, 2010)

Itort said:


> Here's a link for more unusual colors/types: www.hornbakergardens.com



Thanks so much for the link. I am sorry about your wife, Me just bringing her up is painful for you. Please accept my sympathies and apology...


----------



## Tom (Jun 7, 2010)

Please pardon my ignorance. Is this a Lilly?


----------



## Laura (Jun 7, 2010)

Tom, that is a gladiola.


----------



## Tom (Jun 7, 2010)

Laura said:


> Tom, that is a gladiola.



Edible? Toxic?


----------



## Maggie Cummings (Jun 7, 2010)

Gladiolus...and a beautiful on at that. I posted one of mine that is a pink on pink it's posted with the day lily pictures...



Tom said:


> Laura said:
> 
> 
> > Tom, that is a gladiola.
> ...



Toxic, and too beautiful to feed to nasty old tortoises


----------



## Tom (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks Maggie and Laura.


----------

