“Some mornings it just doesn’t seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps.” – Emo Philips
“Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.” – Earl Warren
PAUL’S PLANT PICK
October 2009
Archive Paul's Plant Pick
Japanese Toad Lily
Tricyrtis (try-SER-tis)
Looking for a plant to liven up those shady spots in your garden? Well look no further, because the Toad Lily is about as good as it gets.
Hardy to Zone 5, these perennial beauties sport alternate leaves up to six-inches long and small, lilylike flowers -- singly or in clusters – that arrive in mid-summer and continue through late September to early October. Flower colors range from white to yellow to purplish, and often have spots.
Toad Lilies require rich, well-drained soil, ample moisture, and the farther south you grow, the more shade they require. I grow mine in practically pure shade, along with ferns and hostas. They spread slowly at the rootstock, but they’re not the least bit invasive, and they top out at about two feet. They’re also easy to propagate by division in the spring
Japanese Toad Lily
Japanese Toad Lily
If you garden north of Zone 5, you can dig up the roots in the fall, dry them out slowly, and store them in moist sand over the winter.
Japanese Toad Lily
Generally speaking, Toad Lilies are easy to find, whether at retail garden centers or online, although they can be a tad pricey. However, a virus that plagues most species has been identified recently, so supplies may not be as plentiful.
And no, Toad Lilies are not native. They come from Japan and China, which is where hundreds of other great garden plants come from.
