Toad lilies are particularly easy to plant under trees and attract everyone's attention with their extraordinary flowers. We present the toad lily and its requirements for location, fertilization and overwintering.
The Toad Lily (Tricyrtis) is a delicate and graceful flowering plant for woodland gardens. The eye-catching, colorfully spotted flower is reminiscent of an orchid in structure, but is significantly less demanding and easy to care for. We present the toad lily and its most beautiful varieties and give tips on planting and caring for the Tricyrtis.
Toad Lily: Properties and Origin
The toad lily, also called garden orchid or tiger star, belongs to the lily family (Liliaceae). It is rarely also referred to as the tiger lily - but it is actually the species Lilium lancifolium. Originally from Asia Minor to East Asia, the toad lily grows wild from the Himalayas to Korea and on the islands of Japan and Taiwan. More than 20 species of Tricyrtis are known, of which only a few have been cultivated.
The perennial and hardy toad lily can reach a height of 20 to 80 cm depending on the species and variety. In contrast to many other lily plants, the toad lily does not form bulbs, but creeping rhizomes to survive. The ovate to elliptical, dark green leaves with clear veining are alternate on thin stems that are branched in the upper part.
The flowering period of the toad lily begins in late summer between August and October. The strikingly spotted, filigree flowers consist of six mostly white to yellow colored petals and six stamens. In the middle are also the three carpels, which have grown together to form an ovary and form three scars split like snake tongues on the outside. Less commonly, bell-shaped flowers form from petals that have grown together, the shape of which is reminiscent of foxglove (Digitalis), as in Tricyrtis macrantha. The numerous spots on the petals also gave the toad lily itsNamed because they resemble the spotted skin of some toad species. Depending on the species, the flowers of the garden orchid are terminal or in the leaf axils in groups in a raceme or panicle. Bees and butterflies like to visit the flowers, which appear late in the year. After pollination, capsule fruits develop, inside which numerous, small, round seeds ripen.
The most beautiful species and varieties of toad lilies
For the home garden are the wild forms of the toad lily (Tricyrtis macropoda), the yellow-flowering broad-leaved toad lily (Tricyrtis latifolia) andTricyrtis macrantha, as well as different varieties of Taiwanese toad lily (Tricyrtis formosana) and Japanese toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta), too called bristly toad lily, available. However, many of the better-known Tricyrtis cultivars are hybrids of the Japanese toad lily and the Taiwanese toad lily. We present the most beautiful varieties of toad lilies for planting in your own garden.
- 'Alba': Tricyrtis hirta variety with pure white flowers, each with a yellow spot at the base and a growth height of up to 50 cm. This rare color among toad lilies enchants with its numerous blooms between August and October.
- 'Blue Wonder' : Tricyrtis having an exceptional flower color of white with large spots of brilliant blue-purple while the stamens and ovary have red speckles. The toad lily 'Blue Wonder' flowers from August and can reach a height of 50 - 60 cm.
- ‘Dark Beauty‘: Toad lily up to 70 cm tall and white flowers speckled with dark purple and red. The flowering time of the vigorous and runner-forming variety is between September and October.
- 'Miyazaki': The creamy white flowers of Tricyrtis hirta 'Miyazaki' are covered with numerous purple-pink speckles and reach a height of about 50 cm.
- 'Pink Freckles': Toad lily with soft pink to pink flowers and darker mottling. Tricyrtis 'Pink Freckles' reaches aHeight of growth up to 30 cm and flowers between August and October.
- 'Raspberry Mousse': A particularly striking variety with burgundy petals and pale red stamens and carpels. The entire flower of the plant, which is up to 60 cm tall, is finely mottled with pink to whitish and appears between September and October.
- ‘Sinonome‘: Tricyrtis hybrid with tall, strong plants up to 60 cm and late flowering from September. The white petals show conspicuous purple spots.
- 'Taiwan Adbane': Petite toad lily cultivar up to 40 cm with soft purple speckled petals and yellow to pink stamen and carpels with strawberry red speckles.
- 'Tojen': In this tall variety up to 80 cm, only the carpels are speckled in the middle, the petals are unicolored in soft pink to white with a decorative yellow spot at the base. The flowering period is between September and October.
- 'Variegata': Toad lily with rather narrow, variegated leaves and pink speckled flowers. The striking variety can reach a height of up to 60 cm and flowers from August.
Planting toad lilies: location and procedure
The optimal location for toad lilies is in cool partial shade on humus-rich, moist and slightly acidic soil. It is therefore ideal as an underplanting for tall trees, in beds on the north side of the house and as an eye-catcher at the edge of the forest. The toad lily, on the other hand, does not tolerate waterlogged or calcareous substrates and full sun. Toad lilies should be planted in spring as they need some time to become established in a spot before the next winter arrives. Toad lilies are planted in small groups to ensure a sufficiently dense population. One calculates five to eight plants per square meter. The thick rhizomes with sprout buds are planted just as deep in the ground as they were in the pot before, otherwise rot can occur at the base of the sprout. A planting distance of 30 to 40 cm to other perennials should be maintained, with particularly vigorous and runner-producing varieties up to 60 cm are necessary.
The toad lily can be cultivated in a pot or in a bed. ThatPlanters should hold at least 5 to 10 liters of soil and have good water drainage. The bottom 5 cm of the pot can be filled with a drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles and sand to prevent waterlogging. A permeable, humus-rich substrate such as our Plantura organic potting soil is ideal for planting toad lilies in tubs. The pre-fertilized, peat-free substrate provides your toad lilies with all the necessary nutrients for a few weeks and, thanks to the high compost content, stores sufficient moisture. It can also be mixed with some acidic soil or mature compost to achieve the optimal pH for the Tricyrtis.
Good planting partners for toad lilies are other forest edge dwellers such as ferns or grasses, Japanese mountain grass (Hakonechloa macra) or hostas (Hosta) , Elfflower (Epimedium), Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum), Cranesbill (Geranium), and Deadnettle ( Lamium).
Toad Lily Care
Toad lilies are easy to care for and undemanding in suitable locations. The dead stalks from the previous year are only removed in the spring, just before the new shoots. Fertilization is also carried out at this time to provide the garden orchid with sufficient nutrients for he althy growth and rich flowering in late summer and autumn. A predominantly organic long-term fertiliser, such as our Plantura organic flower fertiliser, releases the nutrients it contains slowly over several weeks and is gentle on the plant and the environment. The animal-free fertilizer granules are spread around the perennials and optimally worked in lightly on the surface. Then it should be watered. In the summer there is less additional fertilization, which is usually sufficient until the end of the season.
Snail damage can be a problem during spring budding. A snail fence, plant collar or, in the case of a high risk, slug pellets can help. The toad lily has a high water requirement - the soil should never dry out completely. Regular watering is one of the most important care measures on hot summer days. A mulch layer of grass clippings, bark or leaves reduces evaporation and keeps the soil moist for longer. Since nitrogen is bound when soil organisms break down the mulch, there may be an increased need for fertilizer.
Tip: If a toad lily does not bloom, it is usually due to a too shady location or too meagerBottoms.
Are toad lilies hardy?
The toad lily is hardy to below - 20 °C, which is why it hardly ever needs frost protection in our latitudes. A layer of foliage or mulch over the dormant bulbs is usually enough to overwinter the toad lily well. Toad lilies in tubs should, however, be overwintered frost-free if there is a risk that the roots and soil will freeze through. If the plants have already sprouted in the spring, they can suffer damage from late frost. In addition to a protected layer, a short-term covering with fleece or jute also provides sufficient protection against particularly cold nights.
Are toad lilies poisonous?
Like most lily plants, toad lilies are poisonous and not suitable for consumption. All parts of the plant are poisonous and can lead to symptoms of poisoning such as nausea, headache, vomiting and drowsiness. Pets avoid the toad lily and usually don't even eat it.
A relative of the toad lily is the checkerboard flower (Fritillaria meleagris). Read with us which location the extraordinary onion plant prefers, how best to plant and care for it.