Tricyrtis - Toad Lily

A genus of long lived woodland perennials with deciduous foliage and very attractive late season orchid-like flowers. All Toad Lilies prefer partial to full shade on fertile, cool, moist, deep, well drained soil. They look awesome as individual clumps mixed in with Ferns, Hostas and Astilbes. A light winter mulch is recommended in coldest parts of its range especially where snow cover is lacking. Clumps may be divided on most varieties in very early spring. Insect pests and disease problems are rare but may include slugs.

* photos taken on May 5 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photo taken on 4th of July in Washington, D.C.

* photos taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.


* photo of unknown internet source


* photo taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, PA


* photos taken on Aug 15 2014 at Maryland Zoo, Baltimore, MD

* photos taken on Nov 3 2017 in Columbia, MD

Tricyrtis affinis ( Mountain Toad Lily )
A clumping perennial reaching up to 3.3 ( rarely over 2.5 ) feet that is native to mountain forests in much of Japan.
The elliptic leaves, up to 7 x 2 inches in size, are deep green with large brown spots.
The saucer-shaped flowers up to an inch are whitish with purple markings borne September to October.
Hardy zones 4 to 8

'Ake'
to 15 x 18 inches

Tricyrtis dilitata
A perennial, reaching up to 3 x 2 feet that is native to southeastern China.
The light pink flowers are heavily spotted with purple. They are borne late summer into early autumn.
Hardy zones 5 to 8, tolerant of hot humid summers and thrives in the Mid Atlantic and Carolinas.

Tricyrtis flava ( Yellow Toad Lily )
A clumping perennial reaching up to 2 feet that is native to shaded rock walls and mountain forests in southern Japan.
The elliptic leaves, up to 8 inches in length, are bright green with large brown spots.
The saucer-shaped flowers up to an inch are yellow with purple markings borne September to October. The stems are deep purple.
Hardy zones 4 to 8

'Chabo'
A stunning perennial with short stems only reaching up to 8 inches in height.
The large yellow flowers contrasts very well with the deep purple leaves.

Tricyrtis formosana ( Formosan Toad Lily )
A stoloniferous, fast growing, large, clump-forming perennial with upright arching stems. The entire plant reaches a maximum size of 3.5 x 5 feet. It is native to Okinawa and Taiwan.
The alternately-arranged, oval to elliptic, pointed, stem clasping leaves are up to 6 x 1.8 inches in size. The foliage is glossy deep green.
The very showy yellow-throated, light pink flowers up to 1.3 inches are heavily spotted with red-purple. The flowers are borne late summer to mid-autumn.
Hardy north to zone 4 and even grows well in the extreme heat of Texas if shaded.

* photos taken on May 5 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photos taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.



* photos taken on June 22 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on May 11 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 21 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Sep 10 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Sep 26 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Oct 1 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 15 2021 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 3 2021 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 29 2022 in Columbia, MD

'Amethystina'
A spectacular woodland perennial with upright stems reaching up to 4 feet.
The foliage is attractively spotted.
The flowers are light lavender blue and intensely purple spotted and up to an inch across borne over a long season up to 3 months from mid summer into autumn.
The stoloniferous roots can form large colonies.

'Gilt Edge'
Vigorous growing reaching a maximum size of 3 x 5.5 feet with large healthy variegated foliage on arching stems.
The abundant white flowers are heavily spotted purple.
Hardy zones 4 to 8

* photos taken on June 17 2011 in Columbia, MD


* photo taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

'Ogon'
Smaller growing wth bright yellow foliage.

* photo taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

'Samurai' ( Striped Toad Lily )
Reaching up to 20 x 30 inches with foliage narrowly margined in white.

* photo taken on Apr 27 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Aug 28 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 10 2020 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

* photos taken on Apr 20 2021 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on June 14 2021 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on July 15 2021 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 14 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Aug 1 2022 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

* photo taken on Aug 30 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on July 13 2023 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 10 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Variegata'
Stunning gold margined foliage.

Tricyrtis hirta ( Japanese Toad Lily )
A moderate growing, rhizomatous perennial, reaching a maximum size of 3.5 x 3 feet, that is native to shaded rock walls and mountain forests in Japan.
The hairy, pointed-oval leaves, up to 8 x 2 ( rarely over 6 ) inches in size, are deep green.
The white ( heavily spotted in lilac-purple ) flowers, up to 1 inch across are borne September and October.
Hardy zone 3 to 8 in partial to full shade on fertile, moist soil. Easy to grow.
May self seed though not invasively.

* photos taken on May 5 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photos taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.








* photos taken on June 14 2012 in Columbia, MD
* photo taken on Sep 3 2017 @ U.S. National Arboretum, Wash, DC

* photos taken on Sep 26 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 2 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 26 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 5 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Alba'
Reaches up to 3.5 feet with pure white flowers.

* photos taken on May 5 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.


'Albomarginata'
Foliage is narrowly margined white

'Hatatogisa'
Flowers are pure light blue and spotted in purple, the centers being white.

'Lilac Towers'
Larger lilac flowers on a plant reaching up to 3.5 feet.

* photos taken on Oct 26 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 1 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on July 13 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 1 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 4 2022 in Columbia, MD

'Masamunei'
Identical except that foliage lacks hairs.

'Miyizaki'
Graceful arching stems, reach up to 3.5 feet in height. The clumps can reach up to 4.3 feet across.
It bears exotic looking flowers that are white spotted heavily in purple from September until first fall frost. It can spread rapidly into stunning colonies.
It is sun tolerant.

* photos taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.



'Miyazaki Gold'
Similar but shorter ( to 3 feet ) with foliage attractively edged in golden-yellow.
The orchid-like flowers are white with purple spotting borne mid to late autumn.

'Shimona'
Purplish-red flowers.

'Shirohotogisu'
Flowers are pure white.

'Variegata'
Golden edged foliage contrasts with lavender flowers.

'White Towers'
Similar to 'Alba' with white flowers that have pink stamens.
Reaches up to 3.5 feet x 25 inches

Tricyrtis x hybrida

'Amanogawa'
Hybrid between Tricyrtis hirta & T. perfoliata. Foliage is green with brown specles. The light yellow flowers only have a few speckles.

'Empress'
Vigorous and strongly erect in habit, it can grow large, to a maximum size of 3 feet x 75 inches. The healthy, leathery, broad, shiny green foliage is large and the huge pink ( heavily purple spotted ) flowers are borne August to September.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in partial to full shade.

'Kohaku'
Reaches a maximum size of 3 x 4.5 feet with yellow throated flowers that are white with deep purple spotting.
Hardy zones 5 +.

'Lightning Strike'
Reaches up to 26 inches x 4 feet, it may actually be a cultivar of Tricyrta formosana. The green foliage is attractively and heavily longitudinally streaked with golden-yellow. This plant does not typically revert to all green.
The very prolific, white ( with purplish-blue spots ) flowers, up to 1 inch, are borne from the leaf axils during late summer. A single plant can bear up to 300 flowers at a time making this a very bold plant especially against a dark background or on a dark cloudy day.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in partial to full shade.

'Sinonome'
Forms a clump reaching up to 4.5 x 4 feet that is topped by very fragrant, spectacular orchid-like white flowers that are heavily speckled in ruby-red borne late August into October.
The foliage is clean, glossy deep green that .
Hardy zones 4 to 9

* photo taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.

* photo taken @ Smithsonian Inst, Wash., DC on Aug 25 2014

* photo taken on Oct 17 2014 in Baltimore Co., MD

* photos taken on Oct 21 2014 @ Smithsonian Inst., Washington, DC

'Taipai Silk'
A very attractive Toad Lily that can spread to form a colony up to 2 x 5.5 feet.
The foliage is very glossy green and the flowers are white with reddish-purple spots and purple tips. Blooms profusely from August through October or first hard frost ( reported to bloom as early as July making it the earliest Tricyrtis ).

'Tojen'
Vigorous and clump forming to 4 feet x 32 inches with huge, glossy mid-green stem clasping leaves, up to 12 x 4 inches.
The yellow centered flowers are lavender-white with light purple spotting. They are borne late summer into autumn.
Hardy zones 4 to 8, may need to be staked.

* photo taken @ Smithsonian Inst, Wash., DC on Aug 25 2014

* photo taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

Tricyrtis latifolia ( Broadleaf Toad Lily )
A Japan native reaching up to 3.5 x 3 + feet, that is very similar to Tricyrtis formosana except for having flowers up to an inch across that are light yellow with deep purple spotting inside. Typically blooming August to October, it has stem clasping, rounded, glossy deep green leaves up to 7 x 4 inches.
Hardy zones 5 to 9. More drought tolerant than other species.

'Makinoana'
Stems and underside of leaves are more hairy

Tricyrtis macrantha
A perennial, forming an arching clump, up to 4 x 2.5 feet, that is native to shaded rock ledges in mountains of central Japan. It is endangered in the wild.
The deeply-veined, elliptical leaves are up to 8 x 2 inches in size. The foliage is glossy deep green.
The bell-shaped, golden-yellow ( unusual for a Tricyrtis ) flowers, up to 1.5 inches are borne early to mid autumn.
Hardy zones 6 to 9, requires very well drained soil and ample water in summer.

'macranthopsis' ( Weeping Golden Toad Lily )
Taller reaching up to 4 feet with larger drooping flowers up to 2 inches in length emerging from leaf axils and stem tips. Among the most beautiful of all Toad Lilies in bloom.
Reportedly hardy to zone 4

'Tricolor'
Foliage in spring is striped with white and pink then in summer is spotted with gray.

Tricyrtis macropoda
A clumping perennial similar to T. formosana that is native to mountain forests in eastern China, Korea and Japan. It forms a clump up to 4 feet x 32 inches in size.
The oblong leaves, up to 9 x 4 ( rarely over 6 x 2.3 ) inches in size, are deep green.
The drooping petalled flowers are creamy-white with purple spotting. They appear late summer into mid-autumn.
Hardy zones 3 to 9.

* photo taken on July 17 2010 @ Morris Arboretum, Philly, PA


'Yungi Temple'
Larger and very vigorous reaching up to 5 feet in height.

Tricyrtis oshumiensis
A clumping perennial reaching up to 2.5 feet that is native to shaded rock ledges and mountains in southern Japan.
The stem clasping, ovate leaves, up to 8 x 2 inches are glossy mid-green.
The yellow flowers, up to an inch, are not spotted. They are borne from the leaf axils from August to October.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in partial to full shade.