Also known as dog’s-tooth violet or adder’s tongue, the genus Erythronium includes 20-30 species and is in the lily family, Liliaceae, that also includes tulip, fritillary, and toad lily. They are perennials and all but six of the established species are native to North America where they grow in forests and meadows. Flowering plants have a pair of green leaves while vegetative plants have only one leaf. The leaves may or may not be mottled with brown, purple or white depending on the species. The bell-shaped flowers are usually nodding, may be single or in clusters of 2-5, and open only during the day. There are usually 6 tepals that may be ascending, spreading or recurved and white or yellow in color with tints or markings of pink to blue or purple . Anthers are conspicuous and may be white, yellow, pinkish, reddish, or brown. Some species are difficult to distinguish and the same common name may be used for more than one species. Plants usually like some shade and humus-rich, well-drained soil.
The genus name Erythronium comes from the ancient Greek ἐρυθρός (eruthrós) meaning red, and refers to the flower color of the type species, E. dens-canis.
. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The environmental conditions of the Midwest have resulted in at least 5 species of trout lily native there, although they may be native to other areas too. The trout lilies described here are native to at least one state in the Midwest.
Small White Fawn Flower (Erythronium albidum)
Paired basal leaves are 3-9″ long, elliptical, and may be mottled with silver-green or brown markings. The nodding flowers are carried singly on a 6-12″ long leafless stalk and are white, 1-2″ long and have recurved tepals. Six stamens have long yellow anthers.
Alternate Name/s: White trout lily, white dogtooth-violet, white Fawnlily, adder’s-tongue
Native Range: South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio as well as places in the Southwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and New England.
Habitat: Moist to mesic woodlands
Type: Perennial, corm
Height: 6-12″
Bloom Time: Spring
Bloom Color: White with yellow
Light: Part shade to shade
Soil: Humusy, consistently moist, well-drained, acidic
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Trout Lily (Erythronium americum)
Paired basal leaves are elliptical, 4-6″ long, and pale green mottled with purplish-brown. The nodding, bell-shaped flowers are borne singly on leafless stalks up to 6″ tall and have yellow recurved tepals that are often tinged with purple on the back. Six long stamens have conspicuous deep rusty red or yellow anthers.
Alternate Name/s: Yellow trout lily, fawn lily, yellow adder’s-tongue, or yellow dogtooth violet
Native Range: Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio as well as places in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and New England
Habitat: Moist deciduous woodlands; along streams
Type: Perennial, corm
Height: 3-6″
Bloom Time: Spring
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Part to full shade
Soil: Humusy, consistently moist, well-drained, acidic
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Prairie Fawnlily (Erythronium mesochoreum)
Paired basal leaves are elliptic to lanceolate and up to 5.5″ long. A leafless stalk carries a single spreading flowers that is white tinged with blue or purple on the underside and with a yellow spot on the upper side. Conspicuous anthers are yellow.
Alternate Name/s: Midland fawnlily
Native Range: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, and Kansas, as well as places in the Southwest.
Habitat: Original prairies, and some glades and savannas
Type: Perennial
Height: 4-8″
Bloom Time: Early to late spring
Bloom Color: White tinged with blue or purple on the underside with spot of yellow on upper side
Light: Semi-shade
Soil: Humusy, consistently moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-7
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lily (Erythronium propullans)
This endangered species has paired basal leaves that are 1/2-5″ long and blue-green mottled with purplish brown that fades with age. Leafless stalks carry a single, nodding flower .4″ long that usually has 3 to 5 (rather than the typical 6) tepals. The tepals are white to pinkish usually tinged with purple on the outer side, and surround 2-6 stamens with bright yellow anthers.
Alternate Name/s: Minnesota adder’s tongue, Minnesota fawnlily
Native Range: Southeastern Minnesota
Habitat: River terrace, mesic oak-basswood forest, or mesic maple-basswood forest of north-facing slopes above or near streambeds
Type: Perennial
Height: 3-4″
Bloom Time: Mid April-Mid May
Bloom Color: White to pinkish tinged with purple
Light: Part shade
Soil: Humusy, consistently most, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium rostratum)
Paired basal leaves are 2-8″ long and green usually mottled with brown. Leafless stem carry a single flower with ascending or spreading yellow tepals tinged red-purple or orange. Unlike other trout lilies, the flowers are not nodding. Conspicuous anthers are yellow.
Alternate Name/s: Yellow fawnlily, beaked trout lily, golden-star
Native Range: Ohio, Missouri and Kansas as well as places in the Southeast and Southwest
Habitat: Mesic woods, bottomlands, flood plains and along waterways, shaded lower ledges of bluffs
Type: Perennial
Height: 4-8″
Bloom Time: Early spring to late spring
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Part shade
Soil: Humusy, consistently moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Eric Hunt, Wikimedia Commons
The Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The area includes lakes, mountains, and vast fertile plains that are the “bread basket” of the nation. The climate of the Midwest has great variations in temperatures with hot humid temperature averaging 85-95 F in summer and winter temperatures often falling below 0 F. Precipitation comes in the form of both rain and snow and varies from 43.6″/year to 18.8″/year.