PlantFiles: Japanese Toad Lily
Tricyrtis perfoliata

Of all the Toads we grow this is the most challenging.
It's natural habitat is on a cliff face in Japan over a rushing creek.

They will drop lower leaves rapidly if the air around them isn't both moving, cool and humid.

At about 12" tall ours started dropping it's lower leaves drastically.
We finally attempted to duplicate the growing conditions.
We potted ours and placed it over a small waterfall in our pond.
No water hits it but the air is very moist and cool.
Within days the leaf drop stopped and it started perking up.
Now 2 months later it is just about ready to open it's first flowers.

A friend of ours is having some luck growing them by placing the pot on a pedestal in saucer of water.
Care must be taken to have the pot setting completely out of the water.