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 'Kohaku' is an eye-catching variety with large white flowers, very heavily speckled with deep maroon spots. It was originally grown for the cut flower trade, which says something about the impact that it makes.