Toad lily, tiger star, Tricyrtis hirta – care

The toad lily with the botanical name Tricyrtis hirta is just as suitable as an ornamental plant in the garden bed as it is as a decorative flower for the terrace or balcony in a tub. The exotic plant is also very popular as a cut flower for long-lasting vase jewelry. If you focus on the following care tips, you will be able to enjoy this natural beauty for a long time:

• Partially shady to shady location.
• Full sun and lime-rich planting locations are not suitable.
• Sufficiently moist soil, but without waterlogging.
• Water regularly with low-lime rainwater.
• Water daily during warm summer periods.
• Always water directly at the root.
• Supply with organic-mineral, lime-free fertilizer in the bed.
• Only occasionally fertilize with blue grain or compost in the bucket.
• Do not fertilize from September or October.
• Toad lily does not tolerate drought.
• Cut hand high after flowering.

Although the Tricyrtis hirta form long and short rhizomes that hold them in the ground, it is still advisable to choose a place where they are protected from the wind.

Overwinter

All 23 species of the plant genus Tricyrtis are hardy to -20 ° Celsius, but only for a short time. It is therefore advisable to cover the Japanese toad lily after cutting with a thick layer of straw, brushwood or dry leaves to protect it from the cold and snow. In the bucket, the lily plants can linger on the balcony or terrace up to around -5 ° Celsius. Then it should move to a cool, dark winter quarter, such as the cellar. If there is not enough space in the house for wintering, it is important to protect the bucket from freezing through. For this purpose, it is placed on a styrofoam or wooden block on the south wall of the house and wrapped in protective bubble wrap. During the winter, the toad lily only receives enough water to prevent it from drying out.

Plant toad lily properly

As a rule, specialist retailers offer bulbs for the toad lily, less often the seeds, because they take years to bloom. The onions should be fresh and have not yet started sprouting. Ideally, they are planted immediately after purchase. They are best with a short storage in a cool and airy place. The planting itself takes place in the bed as well as in the tub in the following steps:

• The best time to plant is in spring.
• Dig a planting hole that is 25 cm to 30 cm deep.
• Fill in a 10 cm thick drainage made of coarse gravel.
• Place the flower bulb in the hole with the tip facing up.
• Fill up with an earth-sand-compost mixture and cover.

Finally, the moisture-loving flower bulbs are lightly poured on.

Multiply

Once gardening enthusiasts have taken the tiger star to their hearts, they usually want to cultivate more specimens. For propagation you have the choice between different methods:

Division
The simplest and most effective procedure for propagating the garden orchid is to divide the rootstock in spring, before the mother plant begins to sprout again. Alternatively, this type of propagation can also be carried out after flowering in autumn. In order for the division to be successful, each piece must have at least one eye. The new location of the offspring is ideally enriched with garden compost 2 or 3 weeks beforehand. There the root stock element is set so deep into the ground that the eyes are completely covered with earth.

Cuttings
The best time for this type of propagation of the bristle toad lily, as it is also known, is the summer before flowering. For this purpose, about 10 to 15 cm long, strong and non-flowering shoots are cut from the mother plant with a sharp knife. You should have at least 3 to 4 sheets of paper. In the event that increased outflow of sap occurs at the cut wound on the mother plant, this area is coated with pure wood ash. The cuttings are placed in nursery pots with a nutrient-poor substrate or are immediately planted in their new location. There they root within a short time if the location is right and they are kept slightly moist at all times.

Together
If you don’t want to buy the toad lily seeds, you can win them yourself. In this case, the faded stems are not cut off in autumn until the seed pods dry up. This is the sign that the seeds are ripe and ready to be harvested. The capsules are cut open and the seeds are stored in a dry place out of direct sunlight for a few more days. Since these are cold germs, it is necessary to stratify the seeds, i.e. to expose them to a cold stimulus. The growing pots are filled with a mixture of potting soil and sand. The seeds are then distributed, lightly pressed but not covered with the substrate. They spend the next 8 to 12 weeks like this in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator or in a similarly cool place. During the stratification, the pots are not covered and the potting soil is always kept slightly moist. When the cold treatment is over, the pots are placed in a light, but not sunny, location where the temperature is around 18 ° Celsius. Germination begins after an average of 14 days. When the first delicate leaves appear, the strongest seedlings are pricked out and grown for a while in their own plant pot before they find their final home in the bed or in the tub. It usually takes about 3 years for the young toad lily to bloom for the first time. Germination begins after an average of 14 days. When the first delicate leaves appear, the strongest seedlings are pricked out and grown for a while in their own plant pot before they find their final home in the bed or in the tub. It usually takes about 3 years for the young toad lily to bloom for the first time. Germination begins after an average of 14 days. When the first delicate leaves appear, the strongest seedlings are pricked out and grown for a while in their own plant pot before they find their final home in the bed or in the tub. It usually takes about 3 years for the young toad lily to bloom for the first time.

Absenker
The Tricyrtis hirta is also suitable for propagation with the help of sinkers. This approach has the advantage that the shoot remains connected to the mother plant for longer. For this purpose, it is pulled down to the ground, where it is fixed in a gutter with stones in such a way that the tip of the shoot still protrudes from the ground. So that the sinker takes root more quickly, it is lightly scratched in several places beforehand with a razor blade. Only when the shoot has formed its own strong root system is it separated from the mother plant and planted in its new location.

Harmonious companion plants

Since the Japanese toad lily is a very filigree appearance, its companion plants in the ornamental garden should be chosen carefully so that it does not ‘go under’. Suitable neighbors are:

• Monkshood – unfortunately very poisonous
• Passion flower in 60 kinds
• Japanese forest poppy with golden yellow flowers
• Primroses of different varieties
• Akelei – Hahnenfußgewächse
• small ornamental grasses, such as the Japanese sedge
• Foam flowers with delicate flower candles
• Grove flowers with a pale blue magic
• Hostas or white heart lilies
• Fake strawberries as underplanting
• Juggler flower, the abundant autumn shrub
• Autumn anemones in many varieties
• Thorn apple – the white night owl
• Pansies, the all-rounder in the ornamental garden

However, the decorative toad lily does not depend on suitable accompanying plants, because even as a solitary plant, in a group or in a row, it offers a beautiful contrast on the edge of the wood or in front of garden walls.

Diseases and pests

As with all lily plants, the bulbs and rhizomes of the toad lily are a delicacy for voles. If the rodents have already appeared in the area, the perennials should be planted in protective wire baskets. One pest that specializes in lilies is the lily chicken. The bright red beetle is easy to see and can be picked up by hand. If it has already laid its eggs on the underside of the leaves, the hatched maggots can devour the entire plant. In this case, the infested lilies should be dusted with rock flour. With this biological control agent, the hobby gardener can get rid of the aphids that also appear. By far the most destructive damage is caused by the slugs. Above all the immigrated Spanish nudibranch, closely followed by the domestic garden snail. Since these pests are widespread, numerous control agents and methods have been developed accordingly:

• Walking barrier made of sharp chippings or wood shavings.
• Spread the coffee powder or coffee grounds around the lilies.
• Put up the snail collar.
• Regularly collect pests with the snail tongs.
• Water only in the early morning hours.
• Cruel but effective: pour boiling water over them.
• Treat the soil with snail nematodes before planting.
• Beer trap only in connection with a snail fence.

These biological and mechanical control methods can of course be combined with one another so that the use of chemical agents such as slug pellets is avoided.

Beautiful varieties of the Japanese toad lily

Some of the most popular species and hybrids of the genus Tricyrtis are presented below:

Tricyrtis formosana ‚Dark Beauty‘ – Krötenlilie

• dark red spotted, white flowers
• Growth height 50 cm to 80 cm
• Flowering period September and October
• Plant spacing 50 cm

Tricyrtis hirta ‘Alba’ – White Toad Lily

• pure white flowers
• Growth height up to 50 cm
• long flowering period from August to October
• Planting distance 40 cm

Tricyrtis Hybrid ‘Sinonome’ – Krötenlily

• white flowers with purple spots
• Height of growth 60 cm
• Flowering period August to October
• Planting distance 40 cm

Tricyrtis macropoda ‘Tall Toad Lily’

• pale yellow flowers
• Growth height 70 cm to 80 cm
• Flowering period August to October
• Plant spacing 50 cm

Tricyrtis Hybride ‚Purple Beauty‘

• purple-white speckled flowers
• Height 50 cm
• Flowering period August to October
• Planting distance 40 cm

Tricyrtis Hybride ‘Tojen’

• light pink flowers
• Growth height up to 70 cm
• Flowering period August to September
• Planting distance 40 cm

Tricyrtis hirta ‚Miyazaki‘

• white flowers with purple markings
• small variety up to 30 cm in height
• Flowering period August to October
• Plant spacing 15 cm

Tricyrtis ‚Empress‘

• dark wine-red spots on white flowers
• Growth height up to 70 cm
• Flowering period August to October
• Plant spacing 50 cm

Tricyrtis hirta ‚Taiwan Adbane‘

• rare variety with purple flower tips
• Growth height up to 50 cm
• Flowering period September to October
• Plant spacing 30 cm

The specified planting distances refer to the toad lilies grown in the garden center. When planting as a flower bulb, the distance – depending on the variety – is 10 cm to 15 cm. Breeders around the world have produced numerous other hybrids of the graceful Tricyrtis genus, which are highly valued for their brightly colored, star-shaped flowers.

Conclusion
The graceful toad lily with its star-shaped and colorful flowers reminds the viewer of an orchid. However, it is by no means that extravagant and demanding in terms of care. In the garden, the Japanese toad lily adorns partially shaded and shady places, where conventional ornamental plants often find it difficult. If the gardener ensures a permanently slightly moist soil and pampers it every now and then with lime-free fertilizer, decorates it as a container plant on the terrace and balcony. It does not develop its wonderful flowers until late in the year, when most of the other ornamental plants are already retreating. In winter, the Tricyrtis hirta, also known as the garden orchid, bravely withstands even frosty temperatures.