Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are a beloved staple in many gardens, prized for their resilience and vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers. These tough perennials produce an abundance of blooms on tall, leafless stems, offering a spectacular show throughout the summer months. To achieve a polished and continuous display, gardeners often seek complementary, low-growing plants to position directly in front of the daylily clumps. This creates a multi-layered planting scheme that enhances the daylily’s visual impact and addresses a common garden design challenge.
The Aesthetic and Practical Reasons for Front Planting
Gardeners frequently look for foreground plants to solve an aesthetic issue known as the “bare legs” problem. As daylily foliage matures, the lower leaves can sometimes become scraggly, turn yellow, or decline after the main flush of bloom. Placing a shorter plant in front effectively masks this less attractive basal area, maintaining a lush, green appearance at the front of the border.
Beyond concealment, foreground planting also provides essential visual contrast. Daylilies are characterized by long, slender, grass-like leaves, which can look monotonous when planted in large masses. Companion plants introduce different textures, such as fine, feathery foliage or broad, rounded leaves, breaking up the strong vertical lines of the daylily. This layering adds depth and a sense of completeness to the entire perennial bed.
Essential Selection Criteria for Daylily Companions
Choosing the right companion requires strict adherence to specific horticultural requirements to ensure mutual success. Since daylilies perform best in full sun—ideally receiving six or more hours of direct light daily—any plant placed in front must also tolerate these bright, high-light conditions. Daylilies prefer average, well-draining garden soil, meaning their companions should not require overly rich, consistently wet, or highly acidic conditions.
The most important criterion is the height of the companion plant, which must remain substantially shorter than the daylily foliage and flower scapes. Plants that grow taller than 12 to 18 inches can obscure the daylily clump, defeating the purpose of the foreground planting. Selecting varieties registered as dwarf or miniature is generally the safest approach for this purpose.
Gardeners must also consider the growth habit of the companion plant to prevent aggressive competition. Daylilies possess a dense, fibrous root system that is vigorous in seeking moisture and nutrients. Therefore, the selected foreground plant should be well-behaved, non-invasive, and not prone to forming dense, suffocating mats that would choke out the daylily’s root zone.
Specific Plant Recommendations for the Foreground
Low-Growing Perennials
Several perennial choices offer reliable, multi-season appeal in front of daylilies, often providing contrasting foliage texture.
Sedum
Low-mounding Sedum varieties, such as Sedum ‘Angelina’ or ‘Dragon’s Blood,’ are excellent due to their succulent, textural leaves and drought tolerance. These stonecrops typically stay under six inches, forming a tight, weed-suppressing mat.
Heuchera
Heuchera (Coral Bells) offers year-round interest with a spectrum of foliage colors, from deep purple to chartreuse and amber. While they produce delicate flower spikes, their main appeal is the rounded, lobed leaf shape, which sharply contrasts with the linear daylily leaves. Low-profile cultivars generally maintain a foliage height of 6 to 10 inches.
Hosta
For areas receiving morning sun and afternoon partial shade, low-growing Hosta cultivars can be placed at the edge of the planting. Small varieties like Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ feature thick, corrugated leaves that offer a bold texture contrast. These miniature hostas rarely exceed eight inches in height and thrive in the reduced light levels created by the daylily’s arching foliage.
Reliable Annuals
Annuals are a practical option for foreground planting, as they guarantee season-long color and can be easily changed each year.
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is a classic choice, forming a dense, cascading carpet of tiny, fragrant flowers in white, pink, or purple. It rarely grows above six inches and its fine texture provides a soft, cloud-like base layer.
Petunia and Portulaca
Shorter, mounding varieties of Petunia or Portulaca (Moss Rose) maximize flower power in the hottest, sunniest spots. Petunias offer a wide color range and a slightly trailing habit, while Portulaca provides bright, cup-shaped flowers and succulent foliage that thrives in heat and poor soil. Both types are easily maintained at a height of 6 to 12 inches.
When positioning these foreground plants, they should be placed no closer than 8 to 12 inches from the mature daylily clump. This spacing allows the companion plant to establish itself without immediately competing with the dense daylily roots for water and space. This distance ensures the companion plant can fully fill out the area, creating the desired continuous layer at the front of the border.