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Plant care

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' (Bumble Bee daylily) care

Hemerocallis 'Bumble Bee'

Also called Bumble Bee daylily, bicolor miniature daylily.

RHS H6USDA 3-9Toxic to petsIndoor 30-45 cm tall in bloom

Watering rhythm

7-10days

Every 7-10 days in active growth; every 2-3 weeks once dormant

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Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Moderately fertile, well-draining loam

Humidity

40-65%

Temp

5-32°C

Pet safety

Toxic to pets

Mature size

30-45 cm tall in bloom

Care at a glance

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where daylily 'bumble bee' thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Best performance in full sun with 6 or more hours of direct light. The bicolor eye pattern is most vivid in high-light conditions. Tolerates light afternoon shade, especially in USDA zones 8-9, without total loss of flower production. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for every 7-10 days in active growth; every 2-3 weeks once dormant for daylily 'bumble bee', but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Water deeply and infrequently to encourage deep rooting. Mulching around the crown conserves moisture and reduces watering frequency. Avoid standing water around the crown during winter dormancy.

Soil and pot

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' grows best in moderately fertile, well-draining loam. Tolerates a range of soil textures but flowers best in well-structured soil that neither dries out quickly nor holds excessive moisture. Amend heavy clay with grit and compost before planting. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' sits happiest at around 40-65% humidity and 5-32°C (41-90°F). Adapts easily to average garden humidity. Space plants 30-40 cm apart to promote airflow; the compact habit can lead to dense foliage that traps moisture if overcrowded. If you keep the room above 5 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed daylily 'bumble bee' sparingly. Topdress with a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring. A single liquid feed with a high-potassium formula in early summer promotes bud set and intensifies the eye colouring. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which promote foliage over flowers. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on daylily 'bumble bee' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Fading eye colour — In very hot climates the dark eye zone can fade in midday heat. Plant where afternoon shade softens the most intense sun, or choose a cooler exposure.
  • Thrips — Cause silvery streaking and distortion in the eye zone on petals. Monitor buds; apply spinosad-based spray when thrips are detected.
  • Aphids — Common on emerging scapes in spring. Spray with insecticidal soap or dislodge with water; avoid systemic insecticides during peak pollinator activity.
  • Root rot — In poorly draining or compacted soils the crown may rot. Improve drainage before planting and avoid mulching directly against the crown.
  • Leaf streak — Fungal streaking causes yellow-brown banding on foliage. Cut back affected leaves, improve spacing, and avoid overhead watering.

Companion plants

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' pairs well with Salvia x sylvestris, Veronicastrum virginicum, Coreopsis grandiflora, and Stachys byzantina. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Divide established clumps every 3 years in spring or early autumn. Separate fans cleanly and replant at the same depth. Miniature cultivars like 'Bumble Bee' establish quickly — plants usually flower in the season following division. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' is toxic to pets. Hemerocallis (daylily) is listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats; ingestion of any part — including pollen landing on fur and being groomed off — can cause life-threatening acute kidney failure. Dogs may show vomiting. Do not plant where cats roam. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Hemerocallis 'Bumble Bee'?

Hemerocallis 'Bumble Bee' is most commonly called Daylily 'Bumble Bee', but it is also known as Bumble Bee daylily, bicolor miniature daylily. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Daylily 'Bumble Bee' apply identically to anything sold as Bumble Bee daylily.

How much light does daylily 'bumble bee' need?

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Best performance in full sun with 6 or more hours of direct light. The bicolor eye pattern is most vivid in high-light conditions. Tolerates light afternoon shade, especially in USDA zones 8-9, without total loss of flower production.

How often should I water daylily 'bumble bee'?

Water daylily 'bumble bee' every 7-10 days in active growth; every 2-3 weeks once dormant. Water deeply and infrequently to encourage deep rooting. Mulching around the crown conserves moisture and reduces watering frequency. Avoid standing water around the crown during winter dormancy. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is daylily 'bumble bee' toxic to cats and dogs?

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' is toxic to pets. Hemerocallis (daylily) is listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats; ingestion of any part — including pollen landing on fur and being groomed off — can cause life-threatening acute kidney failure. Dogs may show vomiting. Do not plant where cats roam.

What USDA hardiness zone does daylily 'bumble bee' grow in?

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' is rated for USDA zone 3-9 and RHS hardiness H6. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of daylily 'bumble bee' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' qualifies for 5 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Daylily 'Bumble Bee' is also commonly called Bumble Bee daylily or bicolor miniature daylily.