Beauty of the food lily

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34106, 19 March 1976, Page 16

Beauty of the food lily

The toad lily can be > propagated by means of division of its rhizomatous 1 roots during the winter, or | 1 even early spring before it i has recommenced growth; | ’ it can also be raised from seed. I Although it is called a lily and belongs to the same family it is a hardy her-, baceous perennial and. as' \will have already been real-; ised it does not have a corm; from which growth emanates. Toad lilies comprise a genus of 10 species native of Japan, only one of which is : ■at all commonly grown. 1 While some of the species may exceed a metre in 'height they generally do not i unduly draw attention to . themselves until inspected at 'closer range. j It is only then that one jean fully appreciate the deli-

•cats colouring, and unusual and almost fragile looking ■ blooms. Plants of this genus resent 'alkaline conditions and generally do not thrive in heavysoils; a peaty medium or a sandy soil well endowed with leaf mould is ideal. ■ They are useful in the.rockery and should be J grown in a sunny, warm spot, particularly where conIditions can become very cold. Tricyrtis hirta, the most commonly available species, ’ grows between 0.75 m and i I.om tall. The flowers appear . in groups in the leafy axils i on top of each stem; they i are predominantly whitish. . heavily spotted purple. i There is a black spotted : form Ingra, and a variegated one the leaves of which t have white margins. The ■ stems of the species are! 1 ’ covered with white down;, alternate tapering leaves 1 I clasp the stern. '