Trout Lily
Erythronium americanum

Trout lily is a native perennial plant with nodding yellow flowers that bloom in early spring.

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Trout lily flowers are yellow on the inside and bronze-colored on the outside. Above, yellow trout lilies bloom at Truxtun Park in Annapolis, Md., on Monday, April 6, 2020.(Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) USAGE REQUEST INFORMATION The Chesapeake Bay Program's photographic archive is available for media and non-commercial use at no charge. To request permission, send an email briefly describing the proposed use to requests@chesapeakebay.net. Please do not attach jpegs. Instead, reference the corresponding Flickr URL of the image. A photo credit mentioning the Chesapeake Bay Program is mandatory. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in any way that suggests approval or endorsement of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Requestors should also respect the publicity rights of individuals photographed, and seek their consent if necessary.

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Appearance

The trout lily has a single, nodding flower at the top of a short stalk. Flowers are yellow on the inside and bronze-colored on the outside, with six petals that curve upward away from six brown stamens.

The flowers bloom in March to May. Mottled brown and green leaves grow at the base of the plant. Young plants have only one leaf, while mature adult plants have two leaves. Trout lilies grow 6 to 8 inches tall.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

The trout lily sprouts and flowers in early spring, before new tree leaves grow and block out the sun. Plants grow from a white bulb that has a tooth-like shape
New plants usually grow when underground rhizomes (underground portions of a plants stem) spread and form colonies. Mature plants also spread via seeds. Ants scatter the seeds, eating part of the seed and leaving the rest to germinate and sprout.

Did You Know?

  • The name “trout lily” comes from the plant’s mottled leaves, which look like the markings on brook trout. It is also known as the dogtooth violet or adder’s tongue.
  • Some trout lily colonies are 200 to 300 years old.
  • Trout lily leaves and bulbs were once eaten for medicinal purposes as a contraceptive.

Sources and Additional Information

Tags:
Plants & Trees Herbaceous Forests & Uplands