Japanese Toad Lily

Purple and white Japanese Toad Lily ©tamu - stock.adobe.com
©tamu – stock.adobe.com

Zones: 3 to 9 (depending on the variety)
Height: 18″ to 48″ (depending on the variety)
Spread: 18″ to 24″
Bloom Time: Late summer / fall

Toad lily’s exquisite blooms are a welcome site in the fall garden.

The orchid-like flowers and the leaves are often spotted in interesting combinations of white, purple, pink, yellow, maroon and blue.

This perennial should be sited in dappled sun-light, sheltered from winds, and grown near pathways so its flowers can be seen and appreciated.  Although they can be grown in a wide range of climates, they thrive in zones 5 to 7.

A member of the lily family, it comes from Asia, where it grows on the banks of streams so keep it moist for best performance and height.

Japanese Toad Lily has only been cultivated in North American gardens for the last 25 years and is still somewhat of a novelty in spite of its beauty.

Although it can be a little tricky to get started, once it’s established this is a very low maintenance plant.

It is deer resistant but rabbits will eat the leaves of some varieties.

There are a myriad of cultivars to choose from (If you’re interested, you can find an in depth description here).

My Favorite Varieties

Tricyrtis hirta 'Blue Wonder' ©Jolanta Mayerberg - stock.adobe.com
©Jolanta Mayerberg – stock.adobe.com

T. hirta ‘Blue Wonder’ – pictured above (Zone 4 – 8): Delicate star-shaped flowers that are white with bluish/purple spots from late summer through fall. Grows to 24″ high. Buy it HERE.

Or try a whole collection of toad lilies for a multi-color garden (Zone 5 to 9): Get it HERE.*

T. hirta ‘Raspberry Mousse’ (Zone 5 – 9): Rich red-purple blooms on slender stems that will be a show stopper in your shade garden. Find it HERE.*