Daylily – Proliferation

Q: There is a clump of what resembles miniature daylily leaves growing half-way up a flower stem on one of my daylilies. I have never seen this before but I want it to keep it alive if possible. What is it?

A: The leaf clump on your lily is called a “proliferation”. Some daylily varieties are more likely than other to produce them. They are exact clones of the mother plant and are certainly worth keeping. Clip the bloom stem a few inches above and below the proliferation. Shear the proliferation leaves to two inches long. Push the base of the leaf clump slightly into a pot filled with moist potting soil. It will form roots in a week but you should leave it in place for a month before you transplant it to your garden.