Tricyrtis hirta Raspberry Mousse - Toad Lily

The Tricyrtis hirta 'Raspberry Mousse' is a variety of Orchid Lily or Toad Lily that stands out for its beautiful Bordeaux flowers punctuated with white. It is a refined Japanese perennial, with a very exotic appearance, but a hardy temperament. It thrives and blooms in the coolness of the undergrowth, in late summer or early autumn. This plant, anchored on a powerful stump, is very durable in humus-bearing and fresh soil.

The Tricyrtis hirta 'Raspberry Mousse' is a rhizomatous perennial plant of the lily family. Its wild ancestor is mainly native to the humid forests of Japan and Taiwan. This highly ornamental species is now widely cultivated in temperate climate countries, especially in the gardens of enlightened French amateurs. Set in a rather cool, shaded area with a bit of sun, this 'Raspberry Mousse' Toad Lily grows to a height of 60 cm (24in) and spreads quite rapidly thanks to its slightly running stump. The plant forms tufts of flexible but sturdy, fairly thin stems, bearing sheathing leaves 10 cm (4in) long, ovate with cordate bases, shiny dark green, more or less marked with black spots. They are crossed by prominent parallel veins. Flowering takes place from August to October, in the form of terminal cymes bearing magnificent small flowers 4 cm (2in) in diameter, star-shaped and fully open. They are composed of 6 dark red chocolate tepals, intensely speckled with white, and a central column called a spur, bearing stigma of the same shades and patterns. A white and golden throat occupies the center of the corolla.

The Trycirtis has sparked the imagination of gardeners: nicknamed Orchid Lily for the shape of its flower, Toad Lily for a reason that escapes us (perhaps because it loves coolness and humidity, its flower is speckled like the skin of an amphibian, or simply out of contradiction?). Still too little used in our gardens, it will happily share the territory with hostas and ferns, offering its flowers during a season when most other woodland flowers have faded. While early frosts can harm its flowering, it is a very hardy plant that will bring an exotic and unexpected touch to a shaded rockery. Perfectly at home among the round, mossy stones of a Japanese garden, it also thrives well in a pot on a shaded terrace, where its lanceolate foliage is decorative from spring to autumn.

Attention, young shoots are often targeted by small gray slugs! For example, associate it with Blue Angel hostas, Japanese anemones 'Honorine Jobert', and serrata hydrangeas 'Preciosa' or 'Shojo' for a colorful end-of-season bed with exotic vibes.