Orange Day-Lily (Hemerocallis fulva) is in the Aloe family family (Asphodelaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 1,283 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in June.
Nationally it blooms mainly from June to July, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.
When to photograph Orange Day-Lily: observations by month (U.S.)
About Orange Day-Lily
Hemerocallis fulva, the orange day-lily, tawny daylily, tiger daylily, fulvous daylily or ditch lily (also railroad daylily, roadside daylily, outhouse lily, and wash-house lily), is a species of daylily native to Asia. It is very widely grown as an ornamental plant in temperate climates for its showy flowers and ease of cultivation. It is not a true lily in the genus Lilium, but gets its name from the similarity of the flowers and from the fact...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Orange Day-Lily by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 140 | July | Jun–Jul |
| Pennsylvania | 137 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Minnesota | 94 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Kentucky | 92 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Vermont | 72 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Maryland | 70 | June | Jun–Jun |
| New Jersey | 66 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Ohio | 66 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Massachusetts | 53 | July | Jun–Jul |
| Wisconsin | 50 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Virginia | 45 | June | Jun–Jun |
| North Carolina | 44 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Illinois | 42 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Indiana | 39 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Michigan | 35 | July | Jun–Jul |
| West Virginia | 32 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Maine | 28 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Delaware | 19 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Tennessee | 17 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Alabama | 15 | June | May–Jun |
| Georgia | 15 | May | May–Jun |
| New Hampshire | 15 | July | Jul–Jul |
| Arkansas | 13 | June | May–Jun |
| Connecticut | 13 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Missouri | 13 | June | Jun–Jul |
| District of Columbia | 12 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Iowa | 10 | June | Jun–Aug |
| Mississippi | 8 | June | May–Jun |
| Oklahoma | 8 | June | May–Jun |
| Kansas | 7 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Colorado | 5 | July | Jul–Jul |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Photography tips
- Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
- Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
- Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
- Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Orange Day-Lily?
Nationally, June has the most observations, with the main season from June to July.
Where is Orange Day-Lily most often seen?
The most observations come from New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota.