Tricyrtis hirta - Toad Lily

The Trycirtis hirta, also known as Orchid Lily or Toad Lily, is a beautiful Japanese perennial with small but numerous flowers that have an exotic and refined appearance. Despite their precious look, they grow on a very sturdy plant, with stems anchored to a powerful stump, hardy and long-lasting. In late summer, these lily flowers bloom in terminal clusters of small bi-colored flowers, white in color and maculated with spots of burgundy violet, on upright stems with dark green and glossy foliage. This species thrives in humus-rich and consistently moist soil, in partial shade or shade.

Tricyrtis hirta is a rhizomatous perennial plant belonging to the lily family, primarily native to the moist forests of Japan and Taiwan. This highly ornamental species is widely cultivated today in countries with temperate climates, particularly in the well-informed gardens of French enthusiasts. When planted in a rather cool and shady area with a bit of sunlight, the Toad Lily grows rapidly to a height of 70 cm (28in) and spreads thanks to its slightly trailing stump. The plant forms deciduous clumps with flexible but sturdy stems, quite slender, bearing sheathing leaves that are 10 cm (4in) long, ovate with cordate bases, and shiny dark green. They are crossed by prominent and parallel veins. Flowering occurs from August to October, in the form of terminal cymes bearing magnificent small 3 cm (1in) wide star-shaped flowers. They consist of 6 white tepals, intensely speckled with purple-violet, and a central column called a spur, which carries stigmas with the same shades and patterns. A white throat occupies the center of the corolla.

The Trycirtis has sparked the imagination of gardeners: it is nicknamed Orchid Lily for the shape of its flower and Toad Lily for a reason that eludes us; perhaps because it favors freshness and humidity, or because its flower is punctate like the skin of an amphibian, or simply out of contradiction! Still underutilized in our gardens, it happily shares the territory with hostas and ferns, offering its flowers during a season when most other woodland flowers have faded. While early autumn frosts can potentially harm its flowering, it is a very hardy plant that brings an exotic and unexpected touch to a shaded rockery. Perfectly at home among the round and mossy stones of a Japanese garden, it also grows very well in pots on a shaded terrace, where its lanceolate foliage is decorative from spring to autumn.

Be aware that young shoots are often targeted by slugs!