Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus

Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus L. - Yellow day lily
Family: Liliaceae

This species grows spontaneously in a wide area from Russia to China and in the southern Alps it probably survived in shelter areas during glaciations. In the north-east of Italy the species is therefore spontaneous and it is present both in damp woods and in the gorges of the Pre-Alps at an altitude of 1,300 m and in the damp meadows of the lowland.
It is a very beautiful species. It flowers from the end of May to June. It is characterized by big lily-like flowers, about 10 cm long, on flowering stems - 120 cm high - without any leaves divided into branches in the upper part. The linear-grooved light green leaves are 50 cm long and 15 mm wide.
The species was once very common on the lowland of Friuli and it characterized the damp meadows from the Resurgence area to the Adriatic coasts with its flowering late in spring time. Because of the reclamation and of the ploughing up in the XX century, the spots, where this species grew, have almost disappeared and the species can only be found in damp woods and on some surviving meadows. Here it shares its habitat with other particularly beautiful species such as Iris sibirica, Cirsium canum, Gladiolus illyricus.