The white flecks are the molted (dead) skins of Aphids. At one point you have had aphids on your daylilies. You could still have a few small green ones prowling around. Aphids are very common and unless overwhelming, will not cause permanent damage to a daylily. When alive they love to nestle in the crevices of the leaves, so pull the dead foliage away from the green parts. Also, it's natural to have the older leaves of daylilies brown out and die as they age. The only serious problem you could have would be crown rot, where all the leaves pull away from the base of the plant and it feels mushy. It looks like you still have good green growth remaining in amongst all the old foliage, so try cleaning your daylilies up first......Maryl

This looks like typical die-back after blooming. Just use scissors or grass shears to cut back the brown and yellowing foliage, and leave the green. No need to lift the plant. All will be well.

Debra

If you need, there are systemic insecticides that will take care of the aphids. Read the labels. First, try spraying the fans with a fairly strong spray of water.

Thanks everyone, you are right it's definitely aphids. Unfortunately systemics and almost all insecticides are illegal in Canada unless you are a farmer. For some reason it's legal for food we eat but not my ornamental daylilies grr.

I've been clearing out the dead foliage every day and then spraying with some dish soap and water mixed together. At this point there are almost no living leaves left on most of my day lilies. They have been completely annihilated.

One is still doing ok but two are completely dead (every leaf died) and most of them are barely holding on to one or two small fans, they were thick and lush two weeks ago. All the base of the fans are covered in thick black goo, I believe this is the nectar the aphids produce now growing fungus.

I don't know what i can do other than the insecticidal soap because of pesticide regulations. When I look up organic methods it's hilarious. It says plant marigolds and alyssum to attract lady birds, plant nasturium as a sacrificial crop. My garden is literally filled with nasturium (which i've inspected and don't have a single aphid), alyssum and and marigolds. It should be a lady bugs paradise. Very frustrating.

T

I think I have given up for this year (so much for reblooming) hopefully if I clear away all the dead foliage and inspect earlier next year and treat with insecticidal soap early they'll be ok. I am a new home owner so this is my first year didn't know to check. Several of them were here from before but two I planted this year from bare roots and they never bloomed :(

Hopefully the ones I planted will bloom next year if I inspect early. Any thoughts on my chances of this? Not planting bare roots again I think I'll plant from the garden center next time. Not as good varieties but at least I know they'll bloom once.

Gee, aphids seldom do so much damage as to kill the plant. Are you sure you don't have crown rot? After you pulled off all the leaves was the crown they were attached to slimy or mushy. If you planted your daylilies too deep, that can happen as soil holds in moisture next to the crown and it rots. Or plants can settle down into the soil over time forming a well like effect that could direct water straight over the crown. Again that could mean rot. From full plants to totally dead plants in so short a time would make me wonder if something else other then bugs was the culprit.........Maryl

I don't think so, most of the leaves pulled away easily though but I can't see anything mushy there. I tried feeling are a bit but i can't find much of anything. I think it's a very bad infestation based on the thick coating of black goo. Only one of my neighbors has daylilies and I went to look at theirs, they have aphids too but the foliage looks much greener and still quite full.

The speed of progress has been absolutely shocking though, even since when I first posted. I took a photo of my garden a month ago this is what the daylilies looked like:

These are the same daylilies 1 month later:

I check my garden regularly and it feels like it almost came out of nowhere. I am in Toronto so it is still daylily bloom time.

I think based on the fact there are almost no leaves left on any of my plants I just have to hope they return next year and be more diligent.

Hi im in australia and i have the same problem with my lillies. there is white stuff in the stems and i sprayed with white oil. it seems to help. but im thinking there may be a fungus in the soil. not sure what to do.