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Herbaceous Perennial

Tricyrtis hirta

Japanese toad lily

A clump-forming deciduous perennial to 75cm tall, with erect stems bearing alternate, ovate or elliptic leaves and heavily purple-spotted, funnel-shaped white flowers 2cm across in late summer and autumn

Other common names

Japanese orchid lily

Synonyms

Tricyrtis japonica

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Liliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Tricyrtis are rhizomatous perennials, sometimes stoloniferous, with erect or arching stems with alternate, sometimes 2-ranked leaves and star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers that may be solitary or in terminal or axillary clusters
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Japan

How to grow

Cultivation

Plants require a moist, humus-rich but well-drained soil in a sheltered position in full or partial shade. Very suitable for a woodland garden or shady border

Propagation

Propagate by seed as soon as ripe and sow in containers, keeping them overwinter in a cold frame. Young plants may need the protection of a greenhouse for their first winter in colder areas

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back old stems as plants die back for the winter

Pests

Susceptible to damage from slugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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