A simple way to bring more color to any summer garden is to plant daylilies.

Many consider them to be the perfect perennial because they can survive with very little care in a wide range of climate conditions. Available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors from the palest of yellow to pinks, vivid reds and purples, many garden enthusiasts believe they offer something for everyone.

Newer hybrids are now showing up on the market described as night bloomers, repeat bloomers and as fragrant selections. May through mid-June, when you can see them in bloom, is the perfect time to add these easy-to-grow perennials to gardens in our area.

Daylilies.org, the official website of the American Hemerocallis Society, is the go-to site for just about anything you may want to find out about growing this popular plant whose name is derived from two Greek words meaning beauty and day. Each bloom lasts one day but each plant stalk contains numerous buds and as they open can provide color for days or several weeks.

Some hybrids bloom early in the season (May through June), some midseason, some late season and some repeat again in the fall (October-November). The plants multiply into clumps within 3 to 4 years and a mature clump can have 8 to 12 stalks with a dozen or more bloom buds per stalk.

A database of 71,809 cultivar descriptions can be found on the AHS website with pictures of many of those included.

Most daylilies are diploids, meaning they have two identical sets of chromosomes in each cell. Polyploids are plants with more than the two sets of chromosomes. Many of the newer daylilies are tetraploids, meaning they have four sets of identical chromosomes.

The introduction of tetraploids was a controversial topic at the 1961 National Convention of the American Hemerocallis Society; however, today, tetraploids have proved to be worthy specimens. They tend to have larger flowers, the colors are more intense and the scapes or stems are much sturdier to enable them to hold up those larger blooms.

The substance of both the flowers and foliage is greater and according to the AHS site, they have opened up many more breeding possibilities. More diploids still exist on the retail market and in home gardens than tetraploids due to the fact that they are easier to cross and most spiders, doubles and those which are pink in color tend to be diploids.

There are 31 AHS Display Gardens in Mississippi and Alabama (330 Nationwide) where visitors can stroll through and see daylilies in a home landscape setting.

On Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. there will be an open garden tour at several gardens located in the Hattiesburg area. These gardens are generally open during daylily season by appointment only. For a complete listing of all display gardens, addresses and telephone numbers go to the AHS website.

No reservations are needed to take the self-guided tours. Complete driving directions are available on the web site www.hattiesburgdaylily.com.

• Suburban Daylilies — Barbara & Earl Watts, 60 Serene Meadows Drive, 601-268-3884.

• The Wesley Garden at Lake Serene — Wally & Evelyn Wesley, 32 Serene Blvd., 601-264-8237.

• The Koch Home and Gardens, 1300 Estelle St., 601-264-7200.

• River Road Daylilies — Ted and Sandra Preuss, 2143 Old Hwy 27 N, Monticello, 601-587-7676.

• River Road Daylilies #2 — Randy & Schanta, Greg & Dylan Preuss, 2263 Old Hwy 27 N, Monticello, 601-587-0148.

• Figlily Acres — Edd and Nancy Chain, 47 Nobles Road, Sumrall, 601/268-3611.

• Truman & Patsy Roberts Home, 8 Backwoods Trail, Willows of Trailwood, Petal, 601-582-1690.

• The garden at the Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hwy. 49 N. Hattiesburg.

Daylily growers from across the state and region will be exhibiting over 700 specimens and arrangements at the annual Daylily Show hosted by the Hattiesburg Area Daylily Society, one of the largest daylily groups in the country, June 2 at the Lake Terrace Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Plz., Hattiesburg.

Seminars related to growing daylilies begin at 11:30 a.m. and one highlight of the event is their sale of several hundred bare rooted named daylilies, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Public viewing of all exhibits is 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with no charge to attend.

Daylilies need soil with good aeration, fertility and bicrobial activity according to daylilies.org. The addition of organic material allows for sufficient moisture retention to sustain plants while maintaining good drainage.

Full sun or at least 6 hours minimum is best for flowering but many can handle some afternoon shade. It is best to not plant them too near tree roots which suck up the nutrients and water. Planting from mid- to late summer — July through September — often leads to root rot.

Another opportunity to walk through some interesting home gardens in Memphis:

June 2 –9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Through Our Garden Gates Tour; sponsored by the Memphis Master Gardeners; 5 gardens in Cordova and Bartlett; $10; info: memphisareamastergardeners.org