Toad Lily

• Plant Type: Perennial herb.
• Common Name: Toad Lily, Sansyoku.
• Color: White dotted with purple spots.
• Flower Dimensions: 1.18 to 1.97 inches in diameter.
• Flowering Season: Summer and Autumn (August to October).
• Places in Japan with Toad Lily: mountains and fields from Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Tricyrtis affinis is a perennial Japanese plant of the Liliaceae. This species is endemic to Japan and can grow to a height of 30 to 60 cm.

• The leaves of the Toad Lily are elongated and measure 8-18 cm in height. The leaf margins are wavy. The leaves are alternate and sometimes 2-ranked.
• The stems of Tricyrtis affinis are erect and arching.
• The flowers of Tricyrtis affinis are white with purple spots. The flowers have six free tepals in two whorls. They are star-shaped or bell-shaped, solitary or in axillary or terminal clusters.

Interesting Facts about Toad Lily

• Tricyrtis is a symbol of fertility.
• Tricyrtis are called toad Lilies because the flowers and the leaves are spotted like a toad. In addition, the flowers have warty bumps at the flower’s base that appear like a toad. These bumps are the nectaries of the flower.
• The Japanese also called the toad lilies “hototogiso“^[1], which means “little cuckoo“. This implies an attractive bird dwelling in the forest.
• The lily flower is often given at memorial services because the Lily flowers are associated with grief. However, the deeper meaning of the lilies is transformation and rebirth^[2].
• Lilies are often given gifts during the 3oth wedding anniversary because the lilies also symbolize devotion.

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