Tricyrtis formosana

Toad lilies are wonderful plants for the late summer and fall shade garden. Most grow on elegant arching stems often with lightly mottled foliage. They produce multitudes of ornate orchid-like flowers that are usually white (sometimes yellow) with various degrees of purple spotting. Tricyrtis formosana has white flowers with heavy magenta-purple spotting.

A very late flowering plant that is on the tender side for us 3' stems topped with dark flowers, and more popping from the axils, it's a lovely plant.Zone 6

Trailing, jointed stems are furnished with glossy, mid green, broadly lance shaped leaves, irregularly spotted with darker green spots which no doubt gave rise to the common name of Toad lily. Furthering the toad-like resemblance the orchid like white flowers, held in airy panicles, are heavily spotted in dark plum. Semi-evergreen, dying down after flowering while next seasons growth is already sprouting. Spreading by stolons to form dense colonies this Taiwanese forest dweller makes sensational ground cover for moist shade. Plant with the equally vigorous and simultaneously flowering Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert' for one of the finest autumnal displays your ever likely to see in a shady garden, as well as providing the ultimate weed suppressing ground cover. If your going to waste water on tender woodlanders this is the only Tricyrtis that contends well with our heat, the others whilst all beautiful during spring, invariable only make it through summer looking battle scarred and sad by flowering time.