Wikimedia Commons
Liliaceae
Toad Lily
Tricyrtis hirta
Hidden beauty, autumn quiet, woodland mystery.
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Tricyrtis
- Native to
- Japan
- Bloom season
- Fall
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 60–90 cm (2–3 ft)
- Sunlight
- Part shade to full shade
- Soil
- Rich, moist
- Water
- Moderate to high
- Hardiness
- 4–8
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Toad lily flowers look like miniature orchids spattered with purple paint—each bloom is a strange hybrid of lily, orchid, and Jackson Pollock canvas.
- Despite the unflattering name, the 'toad' likely refers not to the spotted petals but to a Filipino tribe (the Tasaday) that rubbed toad-lily juice on their hands as a frog-attracting fishing bait.
- Toad lilies are one of the very last perennials to bloom in the year, opening in October when most shade gardens have gone quiet—a hidden surprise for the patient gardener.
- Each flower has six petal-like tepals plus elaborate column-like stamens that look exactly like a bird's foot pointing upward—a botanical sculpture rare in any plant family.
- Native to Japanese woodland clearings, toad lilies were introduced to Western gardens in the early 1900s and have become a cult favorite among shade enthusiasts ever since.
Color meanings
0
hidden beauty
1
autumn quiet
2
exotic mystery