Toad lily

No fall garden should be without toad lilies. These Asian curiosities bloom with orchid-like flowers that demand a close look, when the garden is winding down in fall. They do best in light shade in humus-rich soil that retains moisture, and are suitable for borders or less formal parts of the garden and among shrubs gradually becoming large clumps. Some self-seed but not aggressively.

Light:

Part Sun,Shade

Zones:

4-9

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

1-3 feet tall, depending on variety

Plant Width:

1-2 feet wide, depending on variety

Flower Color:

White, mauve, yellow flowers, depending on variety; variegated leaves, depending on variety

Bloom Time:

Blooms late summer through to late fall, depending on variety

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Attractive Foliage,Fall Color,Cut Flowers,Drought Tolerant,Tolerates Wet Soil,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Common toad lily

(Tricyrtis hirta) is softly fuzzy with hairs. Its arching stems bear clusters of upright flowers. The white orchid-like flowers are spotted with dark purple. It grows to 3-feet tall. Zones 4-9
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Tojen toad lily

(Tricyrtis 'Tojen') bears unspotted lavender flowers in early fall on tall, 3-foot stems. It's more vigorous than many other toad lilies. Zones 4-8
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White Towers toad lily

(Tricyrtis 'White Towers') bears pure-white flowers in late summer and fall on 2-foot-tall stems. Zones 4-8
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Garden Plans

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Shady Side Yard Garden Plan
Side Garden
Shade Garden

Plant It With

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Lilyturf

With crisp creamy margins on the leaves and spikes of tiny bell-shaped blue flowers, variegated blue lilyturf makes an interesting companion for toad lilies in early fall in light shade.

Anemone

Tall Japanese anemones bloom with white or pink bowl-shaped flowers in early fall. They are good partners with toad lily in light shade.

Allium

The nodding pink flowers of Ozawa allium cluster in heads at the top of erect stems. They bloom in fall and are excellent in the feet of toad lily.

Aster

The black wiry stems and countless white starry flowers make white wood aster interesting in combination with toad lily in shady fall gardens.

Propagation

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Seed
Division