Do you know how yellow trout lily got its name? The answer is in its leaves….the foliage has its own unique character with two long, green leaves typical of the lily family, but with mottled brownish-maroon spots reminiscent of a brook trout. Yellow trout lily, or Erythronium americanum, is a spring wildflower that’s native to the U.S. and Canada. It’s a commonly found plant, but it is ephemeral.
Look for the flowers and foliage just past the entrance sign into Hawk Valley Farm!
Flowers:Erythronium americanum is also known as Dogtooth Violet or Adder’s Tongue. Its yellow, nodding flowers are solitary on the stalk, with the petals flared out or bent back, so its six brown stamens are exposed and available to pollinators. The flower is a beautiful, bright shade of yellow with streaks of maroon on the underside.
Form: The mottled leaves are simple and grow from the base of the single flower stalk. Older plants will have two leaves, while younger plants will have a single leaf and no flowers. Overcrowded plants will bear the same. Plants are small, about 8″ tall at most, with the leaves almost as long and 1/2-2″ across.
Reproduction: The tooth-shaped bulb or corm can form sizable colonies over time, which spreads mainly by runners. As flowers and seeds may not form on each plant, reproduction by seed is less common.
Wildlife Value: Seed dispersal is aided by ants! They have a symbiotic relationship called myrmecochory according to ediblewildfood.com. “They exchange a lipid-rich appendage on their seeds in return for an ant seed dispersal that spreads the colony and protects the seeds from predation.” The pollen and nectar are valuable to our native pollinators, such as solitary bees and also butterflies, like sulphurs and whites. White-tailed deer may browse the leaves and Eastern chipmunks have been found eating the bulbs.
All parts of the plant are edible, but only in small doses, as too much can induce vomiting (source). Native Americans may have used this plant for both medicinal and edible purposes.
Habitat: Trout Lily prefers acidic, moist soil in deciduous woodlands and openings. Since it’s an ephemeral, it needs more sun in early spring before leaf buds open, but can tolerate partial shade. When the tree canopy fully leafs out, the plant will disappear until the following spring.
Look for the flowers and foliage of Yellow Trout Lily along the sides of the path just past the entrance sign into Hawk Valley Farm! The foliage may last longer than usual, since this area receives more sunlight.
(originally featured as May 2020 Flora & Fauna Friday)
