perennials - t

A magical, very early-flowering perennial for the dry shade. Strong, radiant, borage-like flowers bloom before the foliage. After that rises a dense carpet of rough-haired, large, dark-green leaves that cover the ground reliably. Long lasting and deeply rooted, this plant is a real insider tip for problem areas under trees.

A vigorous species that forms small clumps bears gray-green foliage with dark spots and bends and wavy leaf margins. Carries up to 75 cm high stems in terminal shamrocks pure white flowers with purple spots. Written by Sue and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones in the mountains of Hiroshima, South Honshu, Japan in 2005 at 600 m altitude in shady deciduous forest. Permeable, humus-rich soil.

A very decorative variety of the Formosa toad lily, which thrives primarily on the creamy variegated leaf margins. From September to October it blooms in terminal umbel in pink and purple. Compact growth from 40 to 80 cm height, humus and permeable soil. Spring planting recommended.

This crossbreed of Formosa toad lily develops a variety of large flowers from August to October. The foliage is attractively spotted and lustres over the summer. Very robust and impressive.

An outstanding crossing of T. hirta with T. macranthopsis, which lies in the growth characteristics between the parents. The shoots first grow up to 30 cm in height, then they tilt over and begin to form flower buds. It has quite large flowers in a delicate creamy white and deep yellow throat, which are spotted very dark purple. The flowers form first at the shoot tips and then from the leaf axils the shoot down. Very exotic and yet hardy. Likes a humus rich soil in half shady to shady position.

The rarely offered, white-flowered form of this robust Hairy Fruited Toad Lily. It is closely related to the Taiwan toad lily, Tricyrtis formosana. Flowering period from early September to November. In contrast to other white-flowered toad-lilies, the stamens, filaments and the anthers glow in bright yellow in this variety. Clumpy growth from 40 to 70 cm in height. Humoser soil. Spring and summer planting recommended, lower at autumn planting.

A very striking species from Japan, where it grows in cool gorge forests. The shoots first grow up about 30 cm and then begin to overhang and grow down. The length of the shoots can be up to 1 m. The large, golden-yellow bell-blossoms first appear at the top of the shoot in August, and then open along the shoot, from leaf-axle to leaf-axle, until November. The flower inside is dotted purple. Ideal is an elevated location in the shade, where the whole beauty of the plant can unfold. She looks very exotic, but is fully hardy.

A Chinese species that closely resembles the Japanese T. latifolia. This toad lily has a strongly spotted and slightly hairy shoot. The yellow flowers, which appear from mid-June, are flatter than T. latifolia and darker as well as narrower spotted. Occurs in the Chinese provinces of Hebei, Shaanxi, Szetchuan and Hubei in temperate mountain forests.

A relatively new species from Taiwan. On stems up to 60 cm high, large white flowers bloom from August to November with a multitude of small, red dots. Very graceful and beautiful in the half-shade bed. Was collected in 2003 on the Yushan at 2700m altitude.

A rare species, originally from a nature reserve in southern Japan. The plants are from Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones, which they received from the Chollipo Arboretum in South Korea. Thin rhizomes from which stand upright, slender, hairy stems up to 80 cm in height. Stem clasping, alternate foliage, up to 17 cm long. Bring out white umbels of white, heavily spotted flat flowers at the stem end and upper leaf axils. Flowering time September / October. In partial shade to shade on humus rich and well drained soil.