Trout Lily

Erythronium americanum

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.