An under-used and under-appreciated perennial in the U.S, Tricyrtus or Toad Lily, is gaining in popularity. Uncommon beauty, late-season blooms and wonderful adaptability to shade, give the toad lilies a place in just about any garden. Called toad lilies because of the spotting like a toad, these beautiful flowers thrive in moist deep shade to partial shade and come back year after year. In addition, the flowers have warty, sack-like bumps at the base of the flowers that appear “toadish” to some. The bumps are actually nectaries where the nectar is stored.
Toad Lilies, Tricyrtus hirta, are in their fall glory right now in mid-October. Growing all year-long, with layer upon layer of foliage sprays, in October the flowers surprise me and emerge from the axels of the leaves with diminutive spotted flowers. Deer tend to leave them alone for the most part, but there are exceptions where I have seen them nibbled.
Most people’s first thought for shade plantings, are hostas and ferns, but put this perennial on your to-buy list. Long-lived for me in my garden, I have had some for over 20 years.
Growing on upright arching stems the entire plant is attractive. An easy to grow perennial, more people should consider growing these gems in the shady areas of their garden, along with hostas, astilbe, and wood aster. Overlooked in the spring and summer, Toad Lilies, are extremely late bloomers that pollinators welcome.
Filling an important blooming gap in the garden, these plants bloom in October into November when few other plants are flowering. In the lily family, Tricyrtus is a Japanese species of hardy perennials found growing on shaded rocky cliffs in Japan.
Because there isn’t much blooming in the garden in October, bees flock to them and they are an important nectar and pollen source for my honeybees when there isn’t much for them to forage from. And since we have had a record amount of rainfall this summer, the toad lilies are lush and beautiful.
For a complete evaluation of this interesting species, check out the notes published by the Chicago Botanical Garden .
Love these Autumn surprises almost as much as my honeybees do!
Surprise is right. They kind of under my radar and then they start blooming!
A friend gave me some plants and they are blooming profusely although the leaves are mottled with brown streaks. What is the cause?
I read and enjoy every post you send!
Thanks,
Joan
Thanks so much for reading! This is the best article I found on that problem – https://wimastergardener.org/article/hairy-toad-lily-tricyrtis-hirta/ It sounds like a fungal disease.
I think I ‘need’ this plant so I’m off to research. 🙂