Tricyrtis

A Toad Lily collected in China by our friend Bill McNamara of Quarry Hill Botanic Garden which is a superior foliage plant with bold black mottled leaves which are especially vivid when in new growth. In bright shade to part sun, this has strong and stiff vertical stems which have mid to late summer buff to amber-brown speckled flowers. Pretty cool and the first of the Tricyrtis to bloom for us and we find the vertical seed capsules which carry through into fall to have a supporting if subtle role in the garden. We saw what we think is the same species growing in a lightly shaded ravine on Leigongshan in China in 2010. Tricyrtis are undergoing a good bit of name revisions recently and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones thought this might be a different species when he visited here in August of 2013 but we saw the same collection at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh later in the fall labeled as T. latifolia so there obviously is some taxonomic dust still to settle.

A collection of this vigorous Taiwan Toadie from Dan Hinkley. This is quite rhizomatous making a good clump quickly which is really what you want, as the more sturdy stems clad in darkly spotted leaves holding speckled lavender-pink flowers in late summer, the better, we always say. Light shade and can take a lot of sun if given ample water.

A good Toad Lily for the garden which comes as no surprise as molecular analysis puts it in section Hirtae of Tricyrtis which includes the proven performers, T. hirta, T. formosana and T. lasiocarpa. White flowers whose white base coat is nearly obscured by maroon speckling. 2-4 hours of sun is good in a rich moist soil. A Taiwan endemic species described in 2007.

Uncommon Toad Lily that is is uncommonly hard to find as well as uncommonly beautiful. Bold broad leaves clasp sturdy stems which support big yellow flowers at their terminus. Less vigorous than its brethren it is nonetheless plenty stout of heart and a true jewel in the garden.

A rare Toad Lily restricted to a small area of moist cliffs in Kyushu, Japan where its long 2'-3' arching stems can hang in excellent presentation of its upward-facing yellow flowers. This would look pretty fantastic in a container or planted in a Fern stumpery if flowers were allowed. Cool summers and moist - not for hot interior gardens so great here.

Toad Lily. Our collection from Asia This toadie was found on the lower flanks of the mountain we were exploring where it favored openings in the forest where it got dappled light and a brief bit of direct sun. Distinct softly haired velvety leaves with white flowers ruby spotted on the reflexed tepals curving down below the jester's cap of similarly colored naughty bits.

Our collection from Taiwan of this species which was formerly ascribed to T. stolonifera but is now merged into the variable T. formosana. Good clumper via - you guessed it - stolons with mottled leaves especially on new growth. Upright stems with light purple flowers heavily spotted with darker purple. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Collection.

Fabulous Toad Lily with long arching almost hanging stems which have large broadly tubular rich yellow flowers sprinkled with red spotting in the interior. Yea verily. Perfect in a semi-shaded moist situation where it can spill, arch, hang and enchant. Ideally you would plant this on a humusy shoulder on the NE aspect of your sloping moss-covered cliff where it approaches the lower end of the pool which was formed in the creek by the waterfall at the pool's head and where it can catch the occasional errant waft of mist swirled by the intermittent gentle breeze underneath the high canopy of mature Acer palmatum. Lacking these very basic amenities, a simple moisture retentive woodsy soil in the shade will do quite nicely.