The Toad Lily

GardenWise is looking forward with our five favorite Garden Delights this week, in no particular order, for Fall 2011. Yesterday we started with an all-time eye-catching favorite, Pink Muhly Grass. Today we look at what I think is a garden must have, one that I’ve blogged about many times and just cant get enough of, Toad Lily.

With its beautiful orchid-like white flowers with purple flecks and graceful arching growth habit, Toad Lily (Tricyrtis hirta) compels anyone who gazes upon it to stop for a closer look. A must have for any  Fall garden, the Toad Lily blooms from late summer through the fall season and happily grows in the shade, providing an unforgetable eye-catching colorful interest.  The plant  typically stands 1.5-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide, and can be planted in a border with moist well-drained soil, or in a shady nook under a grove of flowering trees for a fantastic fall display.  Toad Lily – a “must” for Fall 2011!