Tricyrtis hirta or Toad Lilly is an attractive clumping perennial. It blooms from late summer – early fall in my garden. I noticed the first buds forming this past weekend. The common name really does this plant an injustice, because the star shaped flowers are quite pretty with their markings. I wasn’t sure if mine was going to be okay this year because it has been getting more sun than in years past. This summer was so hot & dry that the foliage was getting quite ratty looking. It does prefer a rich humus soil that stays quite moist. My bed gets morning sun with afternoon shade and is quite dry. I will have to remember to give this plant a good dose of compost and some regular watering from here on out. The flowers are white with splashes of purple on their petals which I think is a quite interesting contrast against the green foliage. Now here are the facts on this early fall perennial:
- Moderately easy to grow
- Bloom September to October
- Propogate by seed or division in spring
- Hardy in zones 5-9 (must be protected in zone 5)
- require moist humus soil
- prefer partial-full shade
