Trout Lily
Erythronium americanum
Trout-speckled leaves and nodding yellow flowers in early April, gone by late spring. Early nectar for bees just out of winter.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
One of the earliest spring ephemerals. critical nectar for queen bumblebees emerging from winter dormancy.
Trout Lily is one of the first flowers to emerge in the spring woodland, pushing up from the forest floor before the tree canopy leafs out. The mottled leaves, brown-speckled green, like a brook trout's flank, carpet the ground in early April, followed by a single nodding yellow flower per stem. It blooms for only a few weeks, but those weeks coincide perfectly with the emergence of native bees that have just overwintered and need an early nectar source. The plant goes dormant by late spring once the canopy closes, making it a natural partner for later-leafing woodland perennials like ferns or wild ginger that fill in behind it. This is a patient plant: individual plants may take years to bloom from seed, but a colony allowed to naturalize becomes a living carpet that returns without any effort on your part.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown trout lily propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Moist
- Mature size
- 4–8 in · 4–6 in wide
- Bloom time
- Early spring
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Oklahoma
Care notes for trout lily.
Plant corms 2-3 inches deep in moist, rich, well-drained woodland soil with abundant leaf litter. Partial to full shade is essential. Allow foliage to die back naturally. Do not disturb established colonies. Mulch lightly with shredded leaves to mimic forest floor conditions.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside trout lily.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.