You can request a specific date:
You can request a specific date in the Order Notes box during checkout, and we will ship your plants as close to the time you request as possible.
We ship February — October.
Or we will send at the proper time for planting:
Winter and Early Spring Orders:
We will send at the appropriate time for Spring planting in your area. See the chart below for approximate starting shipping dates by zone.
Late Spring and Summer Orders :
After shipping has started to your area, we will send as soon as possible, normally within one to two weeks.
PLEASE NOTE – We will do our best to ship as quickly as possible, but the plants are growing in the ground, not sitting on a shelf, so it takes some time to get them dug and ready to ship.
Fall Orders:
We will send as soon as possible, up until it is too late to plant in your area. Orders placed after that time will ship the following spring. See the chart below for last shipping date by zone.
Approximate Dates We Start Shipping by USDA Hardiness Zone:
- Zones 9-10: Mid-late February
- Zone 8: Early-mid March
- Zone 7: Mid-late March
- Zone 6: Late March – early April
- Zone 5: Early-late April
- Zones 2-4: Late April – early May
Approximate Dates We Stop Shipping by USDA Hardiness Zone:
- Zones 2-4: Mid-September
- Zone 5: Mid-late September
- Zone 6: Late September
- Zone 7: Early October
- Zone 8: Mid October
- Zones 9-10: Late October
Kathryn Commons –
One of the earliest in my garden, prolific and very strong.
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Lovely sunny yellow
Lynda Schemansky –
This shade of yellow really earns the name “Happy”
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Brenda Crisp (verified owner) –
I love Happy Returns. It just keeps on giving with those beautiful blooms. When you think it might be through blooming……here comes with more blooms. You won’t be disappointed. It’s little in bloom size but you will get more and more blooms which makes up for the size of the bloom. Love love it!
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What are these?
Connecticut (verified owner) –
I got some Happy Returns new this year and notice that in addition to the main leaves most of mine have long grass-like stalks that don’t resemble the main leaves, and get much longer. Are these a genuine part of the plant? I’ve been pulling the stalks out but they seem to come right from the main root ball and keep returning.
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office –
Hi, thank you for reaching out. In answer to your question, what you see are proliferations. These may be cut at the joint and be planted directly in the ground for new starts.
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Brenda J Scaggs (verified owner) –
I planted my Happy Returns day lilies April 26, 2019 and am already seeing blooms on some of my plants! Amazing! I’m excited to see my border fill in! Great company and products!
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Richard (verified owner) –
I was looking for a yellow rebloomer when I saw Happy Returns in a friend’s landscape. A beautiful plant with lots of blooms. Ordered seven of them and planted them on June 7th. Here it is June 7th and I got a bloom from one yesterday and I noticed a scape on another this afternoon. In my 50 years of growing daylillies I don’t remember bare rooted plants putting up scapes that quickly.
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golymoly@verizon.net –
Bright bit of sunshine early in the season and again in the fall – I give it one feeding and water during a dry spell for a good rebloom
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melody cagle (verified owner) –
As always my Happy Returns arrived in excellent condition and with big beautiful fans. This is my 3rd order from Oakes and I wouldn’t order from anyone else. Helpful staff, excellent service, beautiful daylilies.
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marion_baber@yahoo.com –
Very pretty bright yellow!! I like it better than Stella , and I have it too ,to compare.
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Loretta Sernekos –
This is the only one of my daylilies that blooms into October here in southern NJ. In fact, the last bloom opened 2 days ago, right before our first hard frost! It is so lovely to have at least one daylily cheerfully blooming as the days grow shorter. Not a tall plant, but definitely worth having in your garden, and a bargain price, too.
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Bartlett, TN –
A cheerful lemon yellow flower that blooms more than my other daylilies. If you want consistent color in your landscape this is the one to choose. I have this on the east side of my home, in partial shade and it does very well.
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evansville, IN –
I put this in the ground and a month later it was blooming with one scape. Since it is late in the season I don’t expect more for the year but I am very pleased with what I saw. I am bored with Sella.
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Rockwood, TN –
Rule of thumb: if you want “striking color” from a distance, plant colors that are on the lighter side. Deep, dark colors don’t translate as well. Happy Returns is a better show than Stella for a yellow. A true “crayon” yellow, this is my favorite and seems to cause many cars to slow down passing my house as I have MANY of them front and side. Never quits blooming and is needing division yearly after only three years.
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Franklinville, NJ –
I call this The Little Daylily That Could. It just keeps chugging along, blooming its head off, looking cheerful and beautiful, seemingly forever. Very happy with Happy Returns!
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Chicago, IL –
This year I started a mixed border with several each of Happy Returns and Stella D’Oro. HR actually bloomed MORe than the Stella d’Oros, where there would be one bloom on the Stella there would be 3 or 4 on the Happy Returns. And, they started earlier, too, and have kept on going, several blooms every day for months. This is one of the most cheerful plants I’ve ever seen. Every single day your garden will look nice. I’m really glad I picked it.
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Sherburn, MN –
Such cheerful, light blooms! Definitely a good choice for those looking for clear, bright yellows.
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Galva, IL –
It is all of the description. The only negative is it doesn’t hold up well to rain which ruins the petals by making them thin. Even does well in semi shade.
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Madisonville, KY –
This is my best bloomer! I have about 30 blooms today in one small area. The only reason I didn’t give it a 10 is that I like showier flowers. I noticed that someone said they open in the evening and fade the next morning. Mine open in the evening and keep blooming all the next day. So every evening I have two days’ blooms!
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fair lawn, NJ –
Very HAPPY looking! Looks great, SMELLS great, and performs great! This one is very dependable!
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Longmeadow, MA –
This plant is the workhorse of my gardens. I scattered in several places to spread cheer and color throughout the growing season.
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Flushing, NY –
A beautiful clear sunshine yellow that blends so much better with pinks than Stella de Oro. And it blooms and blooms and blooms! It’s compact size makes it a wonderful edging plant or for the front of the border.
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Riverside, CA –
This is a wonderful little lily. I planted these along my driveway and than kept my fingers crossed because when they put the pavers in for the sidewalk they filled this area with sand, I added what planting mix I could. They have had beautiful flowers all summer and are still blooming. Stayed lovely even during our heat waves. Couldn’t ask for a better plant.
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Boise, ID –
My two ‘happy returns’ are one year old and blooming well this summer. I really like the texture and sparkle of the blooms. It holds its color well and does not fade in the intense afternoon sun.
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sebastopol, CA –
What a lovely little plant with delicate light yellow blooms. Interestingly, it starts blooming very late in the day – like 5 pm, is fully bloomed by dark, and the bloom is fading by morning. Maybe, at least here in northern California, it could be called a night lily! Planted it Oct 2005. So far, its not a prolific bloomer, but maybe that’s because it’s a dormant type.
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bassfield, MS –
This is a beautiful plant with an extremely clear yellow bloom. I actually had blooms the second week of December! Wonderful!
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Elma, WA –
Nice buttery yellow and cute blooms. It finished a bit early for me. Lots of blooms on scape.
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Mechanicsville, MD –
Many blooms and a beautiful clear yellow. It is perfect for any garden. The foliage is also nicely shaped. I have noticed many nurseries carrying this variety now but I would still order from Oakes for a guaranteed healthy plant.
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Knoxville, TN –
This will be the third summer for my Happy Returns. They are in a border bed with ornamental grasses and cannas. They have provided color continously all summer for the past two. In addition, they are wonderfully fragrant – the best of both worlds.
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Melville, NY –
The color of Happy Returns cannot be over-rated. It is a clear, true yellow, with no trace of orange or gold. BEAUTIFUL! My specimen is presently being obscured by a Trumpet Vine (campsis radicans) that seems to be on steroids; nevertheless, “Happy” is about to produce a second flush of blooms which looks to be rather prolific. Thank you, Happy Returns. You will soon be in a more-deserving environment!
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lubbock, TX –
The summer of 2004 was the first blooming season for this perfect plant. It began blooming in early summer and continued til Thanksgiving without interuption. The lovely yellow blooms add constant color and life to my garden. Great daylily!
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Oxford, MS –
I ordered June 29; received July 9; blooming today . . . beautiful soft yellow flower. Cannot ask for more. Thanks, Oakes for the beautiful, large, healthy plants.
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Owensboro, KY –
A very cheerful lemon yellow with a light fragrance and delicate ruffled blooms. What’s not to love? It is a good rebloomer too! A great choice!
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Palestine, TX –
You’ll just love this little one. It’s blooms go on forever. Love the soft lemon color.
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seatac, WA –
The light yellow is much easier to work into the border than the harsher color of Stella de Oro. It performs just as well and that’s a big compliment since
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Marlton, NJ –
Very heavy bloomer, get’s lots of compliments from visitors . Color is very pleasing not harsh and it performs well in heavy clay soil.
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