Tricyrtis 'Empress'

RHS Plant Profile

toad lily 'Empress'

RHS

Synonyms

Tricyrtis dilatata 'Empress'
Tricyrtis 'Empress' dwarf variety
Tricyrtis formosana 'Empress'

Herbaceous Perennial

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A herbaceous perennial, up to 80cm high, with hairy, broad, lance-shaped green leaves and large white flowers, richly and cleanly-spotted with maroon, and with yellow throats, in late summer and autumn

Position

Full shade, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral

Position

Full shade Partial shade

Aspect: North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Liliaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Tricyrtis are rhizomatous perennials, sometimes stoloniferous, with erect or arching stems with alternate, sometimes 2-ranked leaves and star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers that may be solitary or in terminal or axillary clusters
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moisture-retentive but well-drained, leafy, humus-rich soil in partial shade in a sheltered, humid site; suitable for a woodland garden or shady border; if in moist enough soil in humid conditions may also tolerate sun

Propagation

Propagate by division in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

No pruning required, but faded flower stems can be cut back

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free