Toad Lilies

You have to get really close to appreciate toad lilies' blossoms which are small but unbelievably detailed. I don't think there is a flower in this part of the world that so closely approximates orchids.

They are hardy to zone 5 and bloom in the shade, the last flowers to bloom in the garden after the trees have shed their leaves, the sedums have gone to seed and even the all suffering calendulas succumbed to the cold.

Their pretty blossoms are festooned by ice crystals on frigid November mornings and twinkle like bedazzled polka-dotted stars above the barren landscape of a sleeping garden. I'm baffled to see them surrounded by shiny green leaves, they are so early this year!

Let their flowers go to seed and you may be blessed with new plants naturally. Give them moisture, shade and humus, this is what they like, they are woodland plants. Their preferred environment explains how they managed to get such an awful name despite their stunning beauty.

Toad lilies really do belong to the lily family and will take up to three years to look their best. They can also be propagated by division but you have to be very careful because they don't like being transplanted.