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Sunday, September 14, 2014

Tricyrtis Hirta-A Fall Blooming Shade Plant


A Bumble Bee enjoying a Toad Lily
Are you looking for a charming shade plant that blooms in fall?  I might just have the plant for you!  How about adding Toad Lily (Tricyrtis hirta) to your garden?  Toad Lily sits quietly in the background until Fall when it explodes into flower.  I have plenty of these beauties placed around my shade gardens-they are extremely easy to grow given they do not dry out completely.  I have a few under my pine trees-while they may not be as robust as the others in my garden they still look good and bloom beautifully.  Here are a few pictures from around my gardens:
Tricyrtis hirta-Toad Lily

Tricyrtis hirta-Toad Lily
Tricyrtis hirta-Toad Lily
Tricyrtis hirta-Toad Lily
Tricyrtis hirta-Toad Lily
Here is a pic of one of my White Toad Lilies (they bloom a bit later than the purple):
White Tricyrtis hirta-Toad Lily

Tricyrtis hirta is a perennial that slowly makes a large clump.  It can self seed lightly in ideal conditions which makes it an excellent candidate for wintersowing (visit  http://wintersown.org/ for more information on wintersowing).  I have grown most of my Toad Lilies from seed using this method-it works beautifully.

Here are some quick facts about Tricyrtis hirta:
Light:    Morning sun to shade
Height:  1-3 feet
Width:   2-3 feet (will get wider with age)
Soil:      Moist, Humus rich (does not like to dry out completely)
Zone:    4-9
Other Attributes:  This plant is also rabbit, squirrel, vole and deer resistant-of all the plants in my gardens this one does not get bothered by any of those darn varmints!  I have also never had any disease or pest issues with them as of yet.  They are definitely a low maintenance perennial.

I hope I have persuaded you to add this wonderful plant to your shade garden-you will not be disappointed!  If you have questions or comments about this plant feel free to leave a comment.

Until next time-Happy planting!  Rhonda

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