Daylily 'Mary Todd' (Mary Todd daylily) care

Light

Daylily 'Mary Todd' needs sun on the leaves, not just bright ambient room light. Requires full sun — a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight daily — for the best flower production. In partial shade, plants remain healthy but produce fewer, smaller blooms and may not rebloom reliably. A south or west-facing windowsill in the northern hemisphere is the default; anywhere else, expect the plant to stretch and pale out within a season.

Watering

Water daylily 'mary todd' when the top 5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Water deeply and infrequently to promote deep root systems. 'Mary Todd' is moderately drought-tolerant once established but benefits from regular watering during the extended bloom period. Mulch around the base to retain moisture.

Soil and pot

Daylily 'Mary Todd' grows best in fertile, well-drained loam or amended garden soil. Performs best in organically rich, moist but well-drained soil. Incorporates well-rotted compost at planting to improve soil structure. Avoid waterlogged conditions, which can cause fungal crown problems. 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 'Mary Todd' sits happiest at around 40-70% humidity and 5-35°C (40-95°F). Tolerates typical garden humidity levels. Adequate spacing (45-60 cm between plants) ensures sufficient air circulation and reduces the risk of fungal leaf diseases during humid summer periods. 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 'mary todd' sparingly. Feed with a balanced fertiliser (such as 10-10-10) in early spring as growth resumes. Apply a second feed with a low-nitrogen, bloom-boosting formula before the first flower scapes emerge. Avoid heavy feeding after midsummer. 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 'mary todd' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Rust (Phakopsora hemerocallidis) — Orange-yellow pustules on leaf undersides; a newer fungal disease in many regions. Remove and bin infected foliage; do not compost. Fungicide sprays containing myclobutanil can reduce spread.
• Aphids — Soft-bodied insects congregating on new growth and flower stems; dislodge with water or treat with insecticidal soap. Natural predators such as ladybirds provide good biological control.
• Leaf streak — Brown or tan streaks along leaf blades caused by Aureobasidium fungus; cut back affected leaves and thin clumps for better airflow.
• Slug damage — Young emerging shoots are vulnerable to slug feeding in spring; use iron phosphate-based slug pellets or diatomaceous earth around the crown.
• Hemerocallis gall midge — Larvae cause distorted, swollen buds that fail to open. Remove and destroy all galled buds; do not compost. No effective chemical control for the home garden.

Companion plants

Daylily 'Mary Todd' pairs well with Agapanthus africanus, Salvia x sylvestris, Echinacea purpurea, and Penstemon digitalis. 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 crowns in early spring or after flowering in late summer, ensuring each section has at least one fan of foliage and a good root system. Replant at the original depth — planting too deeply delays flowering. 'Mary Todd' does not come true from seed. 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 'Mary Todd' is toxic to pets. All Hemerocallis (daylily) cultivars, including 'Mary Todd', are listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats. Ingestion of any plant part — flowers, leaves, pollen, or even water from a vase — can cause acute, potentially fatal kidney failure in cats. Dogs may experience vomiting; seek veterinary advice immediately if ingestion is suspected. 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 'Mary Todd' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of daylily 'mary todd' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common daylily 'mary todd' problems & fixes
• Daylily 'Mary Todd' watering schedule
• Daylily 'Mary Todd' light requirements
• Best soil mix for daylily 'mary todd'
• Daylily 'Mary Todd' fertilizing guide
• When to repot daylily 'mary todd'
• How to propagate daylily 'mary todd'
• How to prune daylily 'mary todd'
• What's eating my daylily 'mary todd'?
• Daylily 'Mary Todd' growth rate & size
• Daylily 'Mary Todd' cold hardiness
• Daylily 'Mary Todd' temperature & humidity
• Is daylily 'mary todd' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is daylily 'mary todd' toxic to cats?
• Is daylily 'mary todd' toxic to dogs?
• All 46 Hemerocallis varieties
• Getting daylily 'mary todd' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Daylily 'Mary Todd' qualifies for 6 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Browse all 30 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Daylily 'Mary Todd' is also commonly called Mary Todd daylily.

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• All 11687 plant care guides in the Growli library