Happy Returns Daylily
$9.99 each, 3 for $27.99
In stock
3 1/8″ bloom, 18″ tall, Extra-Early Season + rebloom, Dormant
‘Happy Returns’ is one summer guest you’ll be happy to see again and again! Small cheery yellow blooms light up the garden. Starts blooming very early in the season and, as an excellent rebloomer, reappears off and on throughout the summer. A light fragrance makes this beauty even more special. Fragrant.
Happy Returns is one of five daylilies in our Rebloom collection. If you want daylily bloom throughout the season, you need this collection!
Visit our YouTube channel to see all our videos on daylilies—especially this one on Reblooming Daylilies!
Happy Returns Daylily Features:
‘Happy Returns’ is one summer guest you’ll be happy to see again and again! Small cheery yellow blooms light up the garden. Starts blooming very early in the season and, as an excellent rebloomer, reappears off and on throughout the summer. A light fragrance makes this beauty even more special.
Small blooms are 3 1/8″ and clock in at around 18″ tall in our East Tennessee garden. Perfect for the front of the border or in a container—anywhere you want some cheery color. Excellent rebloom means these clear yellow blooms will be seen again and again throughout the summer.
Happy Returns is an extra early bloomer. For us here in zone 7, that means we can typically start to see these happy yellow blooms around the end of May or first of June depending on the weather and temperature. ( A warmer spring means earlier blooms!) Those of you to our north will see them a bit later than we do. Those of you who live just south of us will see them a couple of weeks ahead of us.
A dormant variety, Happy Returns performs best in planting zones that get a sustained cold period during the winter.
Happy Returns is one of five daylilies in our Rebloom collection. If you want daylily bloom throughout the season, you need this collection!
Visit our YouTube channel to see all our videos on daylilies—especially this one on Reblooming Daylilies!
Additional information
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| Zone Range | 2 to 8 |
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WHAT DAYLILIES CAN I GROW: Most of you can grow any of the daylilies we sell. If you live in an area with a sustained cold period like we do in East Tennessee, you can grow all the varieties. However, If you live in an area that doesn’t get freezing weather in the winter (like zones 9 and 10), dormant varieties won’t work for you; you’ll need to choose evergreen or semi-evergreen varieties.
BIG PLANTS! When it comes to daylily plants, bigger is better! All of the plants we ship will be three fans or larger — two or three times (or more) what you might receive from other companies. Larger plants get established faster and bloom more quickly!
FARM-FRESH TO YOU! All of your plants will be freshly dug when you order. The leaves are trimmed and the plants are washed and air-dried. Your daylilies will be out of the ground less than 48 hours before they’re headed your way.
BONUS DAYLILIES: We send free daylilies (we call them “bonus” daylilies) with every order. These daylilies are equal to about 20% of your order and are the same huge, healthy plants we sell. Just leave the decision up to us and we’ll pick something you’re sure to love!
ABOUT US: Oakes Daylilies is a family-owned daylily farm that’s been in business for three generations. Our daylilies grow in home gardens, city parks and botanical gardens across the nation– including Hawaii and Canada. We are known in the industry as Daylily Experts and grow over 1000 varieties of daylilies on nearly 70 acres in East Tennessee. But over 50 years ago, we started just like you—with one daylily in a home garden.
Tim Clark –
Happy Returns is a must have if you want almost continuous blooms that are bright, clear yellow. The primary photo in the Oakes catalog was taken of my Happy Returns around my lamppost with a gorgeous purple clematis growing on it. That purple and yellow combo is amazing and greets our guests with cheerful color!
I’m in zone 6, and Happy Returns blooms from very early until very late. It also increases very quickly. I recommend this for large plantings too.
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londll01 (verified owner) –
My plants arrived EXTREMELY healthy and I must say I could not believe what healthy starts I got! Already they look like an established plant. I will let you know what they look like when get a bloom. But look at the green!!! Only two weeks in the ground!
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David Mason (verified owner) –
This was one of my first to flower (early June) and it’s still going strong late August. I’m so happy with it. The lovely lemon flowers just keep coming.
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bcnygren (verified owner) –
Received this as a bonus plants, did not have much hope, as it was dried up (July 2020), but it did have some growth. In 2021, it had 4 (!!) bloom cycles – just so fun. In 2022, I used Oakes fertilizer as directed, so far had blooms in June, rebloom in early July – the fun continues. In zone 6a.
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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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[email protected] –
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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[email protected] –
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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