How to Identify Edible Day Lilies
There are a number of edible flowers, weeds and tubers that can be foraged in the wild, especially if you are stranded and in desperate need of sustenance. Identifying edible day lilies is not as easy as it sounds, as some lilies contain alkaloids and are dangerous if consumed. Learning to distinguish between edible day lilies and inedible day lilies could be the difference between life and death, and in a situation where foraging is your only means for survival, you don't want to take any chances. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Analyze the leaves and stalks of the plant, which should both be hairless.
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Make sure the petals of the flowers are orange, unspotted and face upward. There are varieties of day lily that have spotted petals, and these are not to be consumed.
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Check the throat of the flower base, which will be yellow with a red band circling it.
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Pull the day lily out of the ground and inspect the root tubers, which are also edible. Edible day lily tubers are the fleshy, yellow growths connected to the roots of the plant. Root tubers are where the plant stores nutrients that help it survive during the winter months and regenerate in the spring. Because tubers are nutrient rich, they are an essential edible for foragers in the wild.
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Determine the time of year in relation to the climate where you are foraging. In southern climates, day lilies flower from April through June, while in northern climates, they flower from June through August.
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Tips & Warnings
Shoots, petals, leaves, flower buds, seed pods and root tubers are all edible, both cooked and raw.
Do not overdo it when eating day lilies, as they are a natural laxative. You may experience stomach cramping, diarrhea and dehydration, all components that do not go well when in the wilderness.
Avoid eating day lilies other than the original, orange variety. While many cultivated species of day lily are edible, you don't want to take any chances.
Some people may experience allergic reactions from consuming day lilies.
