 |
|
|
|
Trout Lily
(Erythronium americanum) |
Other common names:
Adder's Tongue, Dogtooth Violet, Yellow Adder's Tongue
Family:
Lily Family (Liliaceae)
Group:
Trout Lillies
Distinctive features:
The bright yellow flowers are among the first to bloom in the spring. Mottled small pointy leaves.
Similar species:
•
White Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum) - white flowers, very similar habitat.
Flowers:
Spring; Yellow; 6 parts (petals); Solitary yellow nodding flowers. Very photogenic.
Leaves:
One or two per plant. Stiff, upright, 3-8" long. Mottled like a trout fish skin (hence the name).
Height:
7-20 cm (3-8 in)
Stem:
None, except for the flower: smooth.
Fruit/Seeds:
In a capsule, maturing as the rest of the plant dies off.
Habitat:
Forests
Lifespan:
Perennial. Disappears by early summer, to reappear the next spring.
Edible:
The corms (tubers) are edible raw.
Books:
Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 338
Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers: 102
ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario: 73
Native/Non-native:
Native
Notes:
These are extremely photogenic plants that dapple the early spring woods with their beautiful yellow.
Origin and Meaning of Names:
Scientific Name: americanum: American
Photographs:
234 photographs available, of which 12 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
The flowers.
Leaves are also visible here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It is easy to see why I call this a highly photogenic flower!
I go kinda nuts taking photos of this plant every spring, even though I already have plenty of photos of it! |
|
|
|
|
Three flowers that are slightly different - note how the petals are curled right back. This photo certainly shows why this plant is a member of the Lily Family! |
|
|
|
|
Flower and leaves. |
|
|
|
|
Unopened flower. |
|
|
|
|
Leaves. Someone ate the flower.
Note how mottled they are. |
|
|
|
|
In some places Trout Lilies grow very dense, just like a ground cover. They are all individual plants, however. |
|
|
|
|
A small grouping of them. |
|
|
|
|
Maturing seed pods. By this time, the leaves have already started to die off. |
|
|
|
|
The small bulb (corm) at the bottom of the plant is edible raw. It has a very fresh taste, sort of like cucumber. |
|
|
|
|
Another one. Peel away the sheath, roots, and dirt, and pop it in your mouth.
There's not a lot there, but they are nice and fresh tasting.
As usual, please exercise careful judgment when collecting wild plants for food. Wild plants everywhere are under a lot of stress due to habitat loss. Best to leave them for others (birds, animals, insects, etc, as well as humans) to enjoy! |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
