How Large Are Toad Lilies?

Toad lilies are a popular flowering shade groundcover or low-growing plant suitable for the front of a border garden. They grow to a height of 12-24 inches and are easy to grow, care for, and propagate. Toad lilies are native to Japan and Asia and can reach up to 3 feet tall with funnel-shaped flowers that are white with purple spots. They bloom in fall and are hardy to USDA zones 4 through 9.

Toad lilies are not easy to grow from seeds, so it is recommended to purchase them from a garden center or from divided plants. Toad lilies should be sown at a depth of 20 to 80 cm, depending on the species and variety. The top performer in a study was Tricyrtis formosana, which has abundant purple-and-white blooms held high on 36- to 40-inch stalks.

The average size of toad lilies ranges from 1-3 feet in height (30-90 cm) and 1-2 feet in spread (30-60 cm), depending on the species and growing conditions. They can grow to around 2-3 feet tall (60-90 cm) and 1-2 feet wide (30-60 cm). They can be enjoyed with their gorgeous blooms in late summer and fall.

Tricyrtis ohsumiensis grows to fourteen inches tall, with broad, shiny, sharply acute leaves densely arranged along the stems. Other popular varieties include ‘White Towers,’ which bears pure-white flowers in late summer and fall on 2-foot-tall stems, and the Tojen toad, which produces a variety of purple-and-white flowers.

In summary, toad lilies are a versatile and easy-to-care-for plant that can be a surprise in your fall garden. With patience, water, and love, you can enjoy the beauty of these shade-loving perennial flowers.


📹 How To Grow Toad Lilies / Tricyrtis / Vlogmas 2023// Cottoverdi

Welcome to Garden Vlogmas Day 18 – Today I’m planting Toad Lilies or Tricyrtis. These have strikingly beautiful flowers that are …


Is Toad Lily hardy?

Tricyrtis hirta, also known as the Toad Lily, is a hardy perennial from Japan that thrives in moist, shady conditions sheltered from strong winds. It grows vertically and forms a dense colony with deep green, oblong-shaped foliage. The plant is known for its exotic flowers, which bloom in autumn, a time when most plants have stopped. The six tepals are pale white star shapes, speckled with tiny dark purple spots, and have a central yellow circle and an ornate purple-spotted stigma. These plants are easy to grow but require protection from slugs and snails.

Does toad lily spread?

Toad lilies, also known as hairy toad lilies, grow in clumps and can spread slowly through rhizomes. They can reach up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, making them a striking addition to any shade garden. These unique lilies have white to light purple six-petaled flowers that resemble Phalaenopsis orchids. They have vibrant purple spots along tall, arching stems with leaves arranged in a ladder-like fashion. To grow toad lilies, they should be planted in moist, rich soil, and in areas protected from strong winds. They are toxic to cats.

Where do toad lilies grow best?

Toad lilies, hardy perennials native to ravines and woodland edges in India, China, Japan, and other parts of Asia, are known for their mottled coloration and adaptability to shade. They form well-behaved clumps in gardens, largely untroubled by disease or pests. They bloom in mid-September in the English Walled Garden. In 2001, Richard Hawke, manager of Plant Evaluation at the Garden, reported on a ten-year study of 24 kinds of Tricyrtis, highlighting their exceptional garden merit due to their unique beauty, late-season blooms, and adaptability to shade.

What are the benefits of toad lilies?

Toad Lilies, also known as Tricyrtis, are a unique perennial that enhances garden biodiversity by attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. They are low-maintenance, requiring minimal care once established, and are not invasive, making them a sustainable choice for gardens. They have a clumping growth habit, forming graceful stems with lance-shaped leaves, and grow to 1-3 feet, making them suitable for understory plantings and border fronts. They are hardy, thriving in USDA zones 4-9. They prefer moist, well-drained soil with organic matter and thrive in dappled sunlight or partial shade, reflecting their native woodland habitats.

Will lilies multiply?

Lily bulbs are capable of multiplication and dispersion, resulting in the formation of bulbils in leaf joints along the stem. They flourish in conditions of sheltered exposure, fertile soil, and well-drained soil. Lilies can be successfully cultivated in containers and are capable of withstanding frost. However, it is essential to provide protection from winter precipitation when cultivating lilies in containers. Lilies are capable of surviving frost, but they require protection from winter moisture.

Will lily come back every year?

Lilies are perennial plants that will return annually if they are planted in suitable growing conditions.

When to cut back toad lily?

To maintain toad lilies, water them consistently, ensuring they don’t dry out completely. Fertilize them once a month with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer, and prune them after they’ve finished blooming to promote healthy growth and prevent disease spread. Apply a layer of mulch around the plant’s base to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and protect roots from extreme temperatures. Overwinter by adding a layer of mulch or covering the plant with evergreen boughs. If severe winters occur, move potted toad lilies to a protected location, such as an unheated garage or greenhouse. This will help ensure healthy growth and prevent disease spread.

Do toad lilies make good cut flowers?
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Do toad lilies make good cut flowers?

Toad lilies are a shade-loving perennial from the lily family, known for their small orchid-like flowers. The genus name “tricyrtis” comes from Greek words meaning “three” and “Kyrtos”, meaning swelling, arched, bulging, or humped. The epithet “formosana” refers to the flower native to Formosa, Taiwan. The plant has an erect stem up to 40 inches tall with glossy leaves. The small white flowers appear at the end of the stem in clusters, with reddish-purple speckling or spots.

The plant spreads through underground rhizomes and can be propagated through seeds, stem cuttings, or divisions. Seeds need to be collected in late fall, sown while still fresh, and not covered with soil. Divisions can be done in the spring and must include an underground growth bud. Stem cuttings are easily rooted in the summer. The plant is native to China, Korea, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The name “toad lily” refers to its spotted flowers and warty, sac-like bumps.

Do lilies get bigger every year?

Flower size is a characteristic of each variety and not affected by bulb size. However, larger bulbs generally produce a greater number of flowers than smaller ones. Oriental and Trumpet varieties generally produce larger bulbs than Asiatic varieties. Lilies cannot “revert” back to ancestral types or change their basic color. Mutations are rare, and color intensity can be affected by environmental variables. Fasciation, an anomaly where a lily produces a large flattened stem with a large number of flowers, is usually due to environmental variables and won’t occur two seasons in a row.

Are toad lilies fragrant?
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Are toad lilies fragrant?

Toad lilies, also known as hairy toad lilies, are organs that produce the nectar and sweet fragrance of the plant. They are a beautiful and surprisingly hardy perennial that can grow in various types of gardens. In a recent post, the author shared photos of a late-blooming toad lily in their garden, which had recently begun its display of floral finery. The toad lily, which is known for its photogenic and minor-hit-with-the-social-media-crowd appearance, was found in the author’s hardiness zone (5B/6A).

The toad lily is a unique and beautiful addition to any garden, as it is known for its hardiness and ability to adapt to various conditions. The author shares the story of how the toad lily found its way into their garden and how it has become a popular and popular plant in their garden.


📹 Toad Lily: Plant Profile

One of my all-time favorite flowers, Toad Lily (Tricrytis), is a mainstay of the zone 5-8 shade garden in the fall. It likes moist …


How Large Are Toad Lilies?
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

4 comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • I have one tricyrtis plant in my garden. I love it. It has spread quite a bit since planting it about 8 years ago. It is\\ planted with my hostas and ferns. Interesting seeing the roots as i’ve never seen them – I bought mine as a potted plant. I have tso put kabels or markers where i plant as I always forget where things are and end up digging them up, ha ha Thank you for a really interesting vlog. Happy gardening 😃x

  • I discovered by accident that if you pinch the top of the toad lilies as they’re growing they send out side shoots. I accidentally snapped the top off of one and noticed in a week or two the side shoots. I’ve gone through and pinched others and I have found this is a great way to multiply the number of flowers. I wonder if you or any of your followers have found the same?

  • Hi Annette😊 what a coincidence! I’ve been thinking about buying toad lilies for the past couple of weeks. However, I can’t decide because I only have a balcony, and it’s southeast-facing. I fell in love with these flowers since I first saw them in a community garden. May I ask where you got yours? I know FarmerGracy has them in stock. The roots look a bit smaller than I expected, but I hope they will beautifully flower next August to October. Kind regards.

  • A work colleague once brought some Toad Lilies into work for me and another member of staff to share. (We used to swap plants.) Unfortunately the other member of staff unintentionally thought they were all for her and took them home to plant! I was so disappointed. We had a laugh about it and I was supposed to get given a replacement clump but it never happened.