Toad Lily

Toad Lily (Tricyrtis lasiocarpa) flowers in autumn, in shade, which is exactly when and where most gardens have nothing happening. It is a clumping perennial to about 80cm tall and 50cm wide, with arching stems that carry small upward facing flowers, white and heavily freckled purple, right along their length.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers when the shade garden has stopped. Autumn flowering carries colour into the season after the summer perennials have finished.
• Flowers worth looking at closely. Each bloom is a small orchid-like star, white and spotted purple, held along the stem rather than in one head.
• Shade and damp are what it wants. Frost hardy and tolerant of wet feet, so a shaded bed that stays moist suits it better than a dry one.
• Small enough for a border or a pot. At 80cm by 50cm it edges a shaded path or fills a container under a tree.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Along a shaded path or at the front of a woodland bed, where the detail in the flowers is close enough to see.

Mass planting. Plant 40cm apart for a woodland drift, about six plants to the square metre. At that spacing the clumps knit into continuous cover within two seasons.

Pots and small gardens. A 300mm pot in a shaded courtyard works well, provided you keep the mix moist. A good companion under ferns and hellebores.

Growing Toad Lily in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade to full shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, and hot afternoon sun scorches the leaves. This is a plant for cool temperate and warm temperate gardens. It wants a genuine winter and does not cope with subtropical humidity.

Soil. Rich, moisture retentive and full of organic matter. Dig compost or leaf mould through the bed before planting. It tolerates wet feet, so a damp corner is fine, but it will not survive a bed that bakes dry in summer.

Water and feed. Keep it evenly moist from spring through summer, which decides how well it flowers. Mulch 50mm deep. Feed with compost or a complete fertiliser in early spring as growth resumes.

Pruning and dormancy. It dies back to the ground each winter, which is normal rather than a problem. Cut spent stems to ground level after flowering, and lift and divide congested clumps every three or four years in early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in one size, tube stock, and it is currently on backorder, so allow for a wait. A tube is a small plant, usually a single crown with a few leaves, and it takes two seasons to reach full size and flower properly. That is the right size for a drift, since this plant works in numbers.

Depending on the season it may arrive in leaf or already cut back for dormancy, and neither is a fault. Plant it straight out into a prepared bed, or pot it on into a 150mm pot for a season first. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse more plants for partial shade.
• For larger drifts, see plants suited to mass planting.
• Read about ground cover plants for shade.
• Companion ideas in perennial plants for a cottage garden.

Common questions

When does it flower?

Autumn, roughly March through May depending on your district. Cooler gardens tend to start later and hold the display longer.

Will it grow in a warm climate?

Cool temperate and warm temperate gardens only. Subtropical and tropical humidity is too much for it, and without winter chill the clumps weaken over a few years.

Does it disappear in winter?

Yes, it dies back to the ground and returns in spring. Mark the position so it does not get dug through while it is dormant.

How many plants do I need?

At 40cm spacing you need about six plants per square metre. A single row at that spacing edges a path as a continuous ribbon by the second autumn.