The day lilies are one of those groups of plants that have been extensively developed by plant breeders, especially in America. There are increasing numbers of brightly coloured forms, often with bizarre patterns. We tend to go for small ones, particularly species. They all have narrow foliage, and produce a sequence of flowers, each lasting for just one day, through the summer.

Hemerocallis forrestii makes a remarkable change from most of the huge number of varieties of day lily, as it is a really dwarf, alpine plant. It has tufts of short, narrow leaves, and carries a succession of golden yellow flowers. Like all day lilies, it can multiply the number of crowns to give a good clump.