How to Grow and Care for Stella d'Oro Daylily

'Stella d'Oro', also commonly known as 'Stella del Oro', is a perennial daylily known for its trumpet-shaped golden-yellow flowers. Stella d'Oro grows best in almost any sunny location and in a wide range of soil and pH levels, including rocky, salty soils where few other plants survive. But don't plant it in areas that can become drenched with water, such as beneath roof overhangs or next to a downspout.Learn more about how to grow and care for Stella d'Oro, a true workhorse perennial.

Stella d'Oro Daylily Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing Stella d'Oro daylilies:

• Plant these daylilies in humusy, well-drained soil.
• Water 1 inch per week.
• Plant Stella d'Oro in the spring after the last frost or in the fall before the first frost.
• Space the lilies 12 to 18 inches apart when planting them in groups.

Light

Stella d'Oro flowers thrive infull sunlocations in most regions, but in very warm southern climates, they appreciate a bit of shade in the afternoon hours.

Soil

Humusy, well-drained soil is the ideal environment, but Stella d'Oro will also grow well in dry, even rocky soil. It accepts a wide range of soil pH levels, from acidic to alkaline (6.0 to 8.0).

Water

Ideally, Stella d'Oro needs about 1 inch of water per week from rainfall and/or irrigation, but it will easily survive two or three weeks of drought with diminished flowering. Consistent moisture produces the best flowering. When possible, water the plant at ground level rather than from overhead.

Temperature and Humidity

You can grow Stella d'Oro in a wide range of climate conditions, thanks to its hardiness, which spans USDA cold hardiness zones 3 to 10.

Fertilizer

When grown in fertile, organically-rich soil, Stella d'Oro doesn't require much in the way of feeding, though it will appreciate a thick layer of organic mulch applied each spring. For the amount of fertilizer to use, follow the product label instructions.

Types of Repeat-Blooming Daylilies

Stella d'Oro has served as the genetic parent for dozens of other repeat-blooming hybrid daylilies with a similar compact growth habit. Popular daylily varieties include:

• 'Rosy Returns': A reblooming variety with rose-pink flowers and yellow centers
• 'Happy Returns': Pale yellow flowers; reblooms from early to late summer
• 'Apricot Sparkles': Apricot flowers with golden throats; grows to 18 inches
• 'Always Afternoon': Huge, raspberry-pink flowers
• 'Dragon's Eye': Pastel pink flowers with dark red centers begin blooming in midsummer
• 'Indian Giver': Rich purple flowers with pale pink or white edges
• 'Purple de Oro': 12 to 14 inches tall with 3-inch plum-purple flowers

Pruning

Frequently deadhead spent flowers before they can turn into seed pods to ensure continuous bloom. Each flower produces a seed pod that looks like a miniature green pumpkin, the size of a dime. If you see them forming, remove them.

For daylilies like Stella d'Oro, use hand pruners for deadheading. Be careful not to remove any unopened flower buds on the stalk. When no buds are left on a stalk, remove the entire stalk to keep the plant looking tidy.

Propagating Stella d'Oro Daylily

Although Stella d'Oro produces seeds from numerous flowers, it is not recommended to use them for propagation as the plant is a hybrid, and it won't result in a plant that is true to type. Division is the best propagation method, but it spreads slowly and will not require frequent division. Stella d'Oro is a well-behaved plant that will remain nicely compact until you choose to divide it to propagate it. This method also rejuvenates the plants when they seem crowded and waning in vigor. Take these steps in the early spring or fall:

1. Use a spade to lift the entire clump of daylilies out of the ground.
2. Cut the foliage down to 5 to 6 inches with garden shears before lifting it out of the ground, only if you are dividing in the fall. Do not do this if you are dividing in the spring.
3. Remove excess soil by brushing or rinsing it off with a hose. Rinsing helps you find the best points at which to cut apart the daylily clump. Use a clean, sharp garden knife to slice through the root system.
4. Replant the divisions in a new location at the same depth as the original plant.
5. Water it well. In the spring, keep it well-watered until you see new growth.
   

Potting and Repotting

Stella d'Oro can be grown in containers. Use a 3 to 4-gallon container to give the root system room to grow to its mature size without requiring repotting. Make sure the container has drainage holes. Containers made of terra-cotta are best because that material enables excess soil moisture to evaporate.

Like all container plants, daylilies need deep watering whenever the top layer of soil feels dry, which can mean daily watering during hot summer days.

When a container-grown daylily has outgrown its pot, divide it the same way as a garden-grown daylily and replant the sections in new containers with fresh potting soil.

Overwintering

When grown in the garden, Stella d'Oro doesn't need winter protection because it is hardy to USDA cold hardiness zone 3. After a hard freeze in the fall, remove the dead foliage. Browned or blackened foliage and bare stalks that don't add any visual interest to the winter garden, and mushy dead leaves could protect slug eggs that will hatch next season.

If you don't move potted plants into an unheated garage or shed, they can remain outdoors during the winter. If you do so, protect the plants by wrapping the containers in a combination of burlap and bubble wrap, moving the container to a southern-facing location, or building an insulating silo.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Stella d'Oro is largely free of serious pest and disease issues. Mites, aphids, and thrips may appear occasionally.

This daylily may experience fungal rust disease in some wet or humid regions.

How To Get Stella d'Oro to Bloom

Bloom Months

Stella d'Oro typically blooms in summer, but flowers may appear from early May into September and October.

What do Stella d'Oro Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Stella d'Oro produces golden-yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with arching strap-like foliage that you often see planted en masse. The flowers have a sweet fragrance.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Failure to bloom can be caused by insufficient sunlight. Stella d'Oro needs at least six hours of full sun to bloom.

When flowering is weak, a feeding of slow-release granular fertilizer in the spring, then another immediately after the first major flowering period, is a good regimen.

Deadheading Stella d'Oro Flowers

Removing each flower stalk as the last blooms fade will stimulate continued bloom periods into fall.

Common Problems with Stella d'Oro Daylily

Stella d'Oro daylilies are extremely adaptable and easy to grow. However, stay on the lookout for these issues:

Yellow and Brown Foliage

Daylily leaf streak, which shows as yellow and brown streaks on leaves, occurs in warm, wet weather. To prevent it from spreading, remove any diseased foliage and dispose of it in the trash. The fungus overwinters in the foliage, so if your plants are infected, do a thorough fall cleanup of all foliage. This disease is not usually fatal, but in extreme cases, it can cause excessive defoliation, which kills the plant.

Yellow foliage could also indicate overwatering. In this case, check for root rot.

Wilting

Although this plant loves full sunlight, too much will dry it out and make it wilt, then die.

From: thespruce