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 New England have resulted in at least two native trout lilies there although they may be native to other places too. The trout lilies described here are native to at least one of the states in New England.
Small White Fawn Flower (Erythronium albidum)
A pair of basal leaves are elliptical, 3-9″ long 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: Connecticut as well as places in the Southwest, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
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)
A pair of 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: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut as well as places in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast
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
The New England area includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The area offers four distinct seasons and a diverse geography with rivers, lakes, forests, mountains, and coast lines on both the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. The winters are long, cold, and heavy snow is common from December to February. Summer is short with temperatures between 80 and 85 F. Precipitation averages about 45″ as rain and 60-90″ as snow.