Perennial Focus

The person who decided that Toad Lily would be the common name of Tricyrtis certainly didn't have marketing in mind. It's almost a desecration to call these beautiful, delicate flowers by any other name than Orchid Lilies. To me, they resemble a mass of miniature orchids.

There are two species of Tricyrtis, formosana (a native of Taiwan) and hirta (a native of Japan), both of which are hardy to zone 4. The other supposed difference between them is that T.formosana is supposedly stoloniferous and also known as T.stolonifera, while T.hirta is a clumper. If this is true, most of the plants I have are mislabeled.

Despite the mixup, the masses of foliage and flowers are beautiful and a welcome addition to the partially shaded, average to moist garden in September and October, sometimes lasting into November. Many of the cultivars in production are hybrids. I have grown Tricyrtis hirta in my garden for years and eagerly await its floral display of purple mini-orchids in September.

The foliage is somewhat ovate but alternately whorled around the 2 to 3 foot tall, slightly arching stems. The small, orchid-like blossoms emerge at the tips of the stems and in the axils of the leaves, and open over a long period of time. Blossom color varies from white to pale purple with different colored spots depending on the cultivar.

One of the most colorful cultivars of T.formosana is Amethystina', which has bluish purple flowers with a white throat that is spotted with red. Another notable cultivar of T.formosana is Emperor' with its distinctive golden yellow foliage and speckled purple flowers. Although catalog descriptions say that the foliage has a white edge, mine is completely golden and shines in the partial shade garden. The hybrid Guilty Pleasure' is virtually a foliage look-a-like.

Some relatively new cultivars of T.hirta are the Mousse Series: 'Blackberry Mousse', 'Blueberry Mousse', and 'Raspberry Mousse'. From their pictures, they appear to have darker petals with less spotting. I planted 'Blueberry Mousse' last spring and it appears to be a vigorous plant.

Among the hybrids, 'Tojen' is one of my favorites. I have it planted it among Leucojum aestivum (Summer Snowflake), a long-flowering spring bulb, the leaves of which do not die back until at least mid-summer. 'Tojen' is tough enough to push up between the lax foliage of the Leucojum. Its flowers are pale lilac with very little spotting. 'Blue Wonder' is shorter at eighteen inches than most toad lilies and has flowers that are not blue but pale lavender with purple spots. I have also grown 'Empress' which is very similar but taller.

For something a bit different, try some of the bi-colored foliage cultivars. 'Gilt Edge' has green leaves edged in creamy yellow and white flowers that are heavily spotted and streaked with purple. T.hirta 'Albo-marginata' has leaves that are edged in white and its flowers are pale lilac with dark purple spotting. The leaves of 'Lightning Strike' are streaked with cream, while the flowers are white to pale lilac with heavy purple speckling.

There are a few other Tricyrtis species with yellow flowers that are more likely to be found in collectors' gardens. Some are very short, some bloom in June, and others are tall. If you love Toad Lily, look for these.

Tricyrtis combine well with other moisture loving partial shade perennials such as ferns, Cimicifuga racemosa, Corydalis lutea, and Rodgersia. Although it is frequently not mentioned in the literature, I have found that Tricyrtis can be somewhat drought tolerant once it is established.

Do yourself a favor and seek out some of these beautiful perennials for the fall garden.

Bobbie Schwartz, owner of Bobbie's Green Thumb in Shaker Hts., Ohio, is a landscape designer, consultant, free-lance writer, and lecturer whose specialties are perennial gardens and four-season landscapes. In addition to being an Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) member, she is an active member of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) and Perennial Plant Association (PPA). Bobbie is a Past President of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD). Bobbie currently serves as chair of the ONLA Plant Selection Committee. Bobbie can be reached at (216) 752-9449.