The toad lilies are not as flashy as some other plants that have the common name lily, but are valuable for blooming when the mass of summer colour has passed, and have pretty flowers, well worthy of inspection. They make a clump of upright stems, with a succession of funnel-shaped flowers in subtle colours, often mottled or spotted.

Tricyrtis formosana 'Purple Beauty' is a real cracker; producing lots of stunning white and deep purple speckled flowers with matching white and purple stigmas. There is also a tiny hint of yellow deep in the flower's throat.