A spring ephemeral with mottled leaves and yellow nodding flowers.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Erythronium, the fawn lily, trout lily, dog's-tooth-violet or adder's tongue, is a genus of Eurasian and North American plants in the lily family, most closely related to tulips. The name Erythronium derives from Ancient Greek ἐρυθρός (eruthrós) "red" in Greek, referring to the red flowers of E. dens-canis. Of all the established species, most live in North America; only seven species are found in Europe and Asia.
Source: Wikipedia — Erythronium Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Spring ephemeral with single yellow nodding flower; broad mottled leaves.
Similar species. White Trout Lily (white flower). Other Erythronium species.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. N/A — photosynthesis
Behavior. Spring ephemeral with mottled trout-like leaf pattern. Slow to spread; valuable native woodland flower.
§ Range
Eastern North America
§ Habitat
Mature forests
§ Threats
Forest loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the trout lily is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant in shade gardens.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Erythronium
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Erythronium americanum
- iNaturalist · taxon 75899
- IUCN Red List — search for Erythronium americanum
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Erythronium americanum
§ Sources cited
- USDA Plants Database
- Native Plant Trust
