Q: I bought a plant from Piccadilly Farms, near Bishop, GA, some years ago and have lost the name since then. The plant is evergreen and the blooms appear in early May. It is growing on a dry slope in my back yard in mostly shade. It has a fleshy rhizome, but not as large as an iris.

A: I admired these plants on my last trip to Piccadilly Farms (706-769-6516). Sam and Carleen Jones have made a mission of growing and selling great plants like Lenten rose, small conifers and shade-loving perennials. You have Rohdea japonica, Japanese sacred lily. It is called Omoto in Japan.

As you have found, it is excellent for dry shade. Rohdea has many different named varieties. In Japan it is a popular collector plant. Some have variegated foliage, rolled leaves, dwarf form, etc.

see Japanese Omoto Society