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I have already posted two blogs about my toad lilies and have many more photos of additional varieties growing in my garden. However, I will end with these. All three are quite unusual due to their subdued colours and minimal speckling. Ah, I love them all! (If you want to see more, visit the Photo Gallery page.)  Long stems with small blooms growing directly from the stem. White with no speckles. Fussy.  Long stems with branches of medium-sized blooms. White with small speckles. Hardy.  Long stems with multiple branches of medium-sized blooms. Pastel purple with light speckling. Hardy.
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In my previous post, I mentioned that there are many varieties of toad lilies in my garden. The most numerous is the "futsu" (common or ordinary) variety, which has lovely speckled purple blooms. The other varieties are all in containers, with some requiring a lot of attention and others none at all. They don’t all bloom at the same time, but this fall I've made an effort to photograph the blooms of each variety. Enjoy! (Of these four, the most unusual toad lily is the yellow one in the third photo.)  Long stems with large blooms growing directly from the stem. White with purple mostly towards the center with yellow details. Hardy.  Long stems with multiple branches of blooms. White with large purple speckles. Hardy.  Low growing. Large yellow blooms with speckles. Fussy.  Long stems with multiple branches of blooms. Vivid purple on the ends of alternative petals. Hardy. I'm a bit of a fool for toad lilies. I had never heard of them before coming to Japan but I've been addicted for many years now. I have many varieties in my garden (15?) and I'm always on the lookout for more. Since toad lilies are indigenous to Japan, they thrive despite the extreme summer heat (as long as they aren't in direct sunlight) and the cold winters. Nor are they bothered by the rainy season or the dry summers and pests and diseases largely leave them alone. But best of all, most of my varieties bloom profusely, and I can enjoy their array of colours and shapes for at least a month. Overall, they are a plant-them-and-forget-them type of addition to my garden, returning year after year to fill my garden with colour. Yes, that's my kind of plant! The photos below are what I consider "futsu" (ordinary/common) toad lilies. These are the kind I was first introduced to and bought for my garden. (It's not easy to find toad lilies for sale. I buy mine at farmers' markets or roadside markets out in the country.) This variety grows throughout my garden, thriving whether they’re in the ground or in pots.  Toad lilies growing along side the fence, Osaka, Japan  Toad lilies growing in a pot in my garden, Osaka, Japan One of the highlights of 2024 was being published in the April issue of the Kyoto Journal, titled "Flora & Kyoto." It took every ounce of courage I had to submit my proposal, and to my great surprise, it was accepted. (I waited until the very last minute and almost backed out.) Though the spread covers only two pages, transforming my proposal into the final piece was quite challenging. It required multiple drafts and countless hours spent ensuring the accuracy of the information about the plants, as many have very little written about them in English. Despite feeling outside my comfort zone from start to finish, the overall experience was very positive. The support I received was clear, concise, and incredibly helpful, and I felt encouraged and supported throughout the entire process. I’m so proud of the end result and so thankful that I took the chance! Kyoto Journal 104: Flora & Kyoto    We've been enjoying temperatures that hovered around 20C• but the winter winds have finally arrived! Today the high is 13°C and it looks like more of the same ahead. Oh, that wind is strong and cold! And yet, I still have flowers blooming in my garden! YES! There are just a few purple toadlilies in bloom at the moment. Their season is coming to an end. However, a white and yellow one I bought this year is still blooming away. They are quite small compared to the others and, at first, I wasn't sure if I was going to have any luck. Looks like they really are "late bloomers"! (^.~)  |
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I'm a photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I like to share.
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