In the language of flowers, day lilies mean coquetry or flirtatiousness, possibly because the flowers only bloom for a day then wither and die - much like many court flirtations.
The plant is native to Eurasia but has spread around the world due to gardeners and governments planting them around their structures. Day lilies were used in the United States as part of Lady Bird Johnson’s highway beautification campaign because they are hardy and showy.
Day lilies are one of the few plants where every part of the plant is edible. From the flowers to the bulbs, this is a wonderful survival food. It’s also easy to identify and doesn’t have a whole lot lookalikes.