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 Mid-Atlantic have resulted in at least three native species of trout lilies although they may be native to other places too. The trout lilies described here are native to at least one of the states in the Mid Atlantic.
Small White Fawn Flower (Erythronium albidum)
A pair of elliptical basal leaves are 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: Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland as well as places in the Southwest, Midwest, Southeast 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)
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: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania as well as places in the Midwest, Southeast, 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
Dimpled Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum)
A pair of oval, basal leaves are 3-5″ long and mottled with irregular markings of green, brown and purple. A leafless stem carries a single, nodding flower with recurved yellow tepals often brushed with purple on the outside. Conspicuous anthers are brownish-purple.
Alternate Name/s: Dimpled dog tooth violet, dimpled fawn lily
Native Range: Maryland as well as places in the Southeast
Habitat: Bottomland or slope forests, as well as in rather dry upland habitats
Type: Perennial
Height: 4-10″
Bloom Time: Early winter to mid spring
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Partial shade to shade
Soil: Humusy, consistently moist, well-drained, acidic
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Photo Credit: Tim Ross, Wikimedia Common
The Mid-Atlantic region includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. The region is characterized by cold winters and hot summers, high humidity in summer along some areas along the coast, and precipitation between 32 and 52″ per year.