Melinda Myers

Toad Lily

Botanical Name

Tricyrtis spp.

Min Zone

4

Max Zone

9

Height

2 to 3 feet

Width

18 to 24 inches

Flowers

Late summer to early fall: lily-like, 6 sepals, white to pale lilac or pink dotted with dark purple or reddish-purple spots

Light

Part to full shade

Soil

Moist to wet, rich in organic matter, slightly acidic

Planting & Care

• Soil must not be allowed to dry out
• Flowers are very showy, yet small.  Site toad lily where flowers can be observed and enjoyed up close.
• Tricyrtis formosana varieties will slowly naturalize in a non-invasive manner in the garden by creeping rhizomes to form a dense colony

Problems

None serious

Varieties

• Tricyrtis hirta var. alba - white flowers with pink stamens
• T. hirta 'Miyazaki' - 2 feet arching stems, flowers speckled in purple
• T. hirta 'Variegata' - leaf margins of creamy yellow
• T. hirta 'White Towers' - ivory white flowers
• T. formosana - oval shapped leaves, pale pink flowers spotted reddish-purple with yellow throats
• T. formosana var. amethystina - purplish blue flowers with white throats spotted with red
• T. formosana 'Dark Beauty' - taller than species at 3 to 4 feet, purple spotted flowers
• T. formosana 'Gilt Edge' - compact form of 12 to 18 inches tall, variegated foliage sporting creamy white to chartreuse margins
• T. formonsana 'Samurai' - compact 12 to 18 inches tall, golden-edged foliage, purple spotted flowers with yellow throats