Erythronium americanum

Erythronium americanum, the trout lily, yellow trout lily, fawn lily, yellow adder's-tongue, or yellow dogtooth violet, is a species of perennial, colony forming, spring ephemeral flower native to North America and dwelling in woodland habitats. Within its range it is a very common and widespread species, especially in eastern North America. The common name "trout lily" refers to the appearance of its gray-green leaves mottled with brown or gray, which allegedly resemble the coloring of brook trout. The range is from Labrador south to Georgia, west to Mississippi, and north to Minnesota.

Description

A bulb plant. It grows 10-25 cm high and spreads 8-15 cm wide. The leaves fan outwards and are mottled purple. The flowers occur singly. They are yellow and bell shaped. They are nodding. The plant goes dormant in early summer.

Edible Uses

The bulb can be eaten raw or cooked and has a crisp, chewy and very pleasant taste. It grows up to 25mm long and is buried quite deeply in the soil. Leaves can be eaten raw or added to salads, and also cooked — though harvesting the leaves will greatly reduce the vigour of the bulb, so this is only recommended in times of emergency. Flowers, flower buds and flower stems can be eaten raw or cooked.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves are boiled for 5-10 minutes then served with vinegar. They are also eaten raw in salads. The bulb like corms are boiled for 15-20 minutes and served with butter. The flower stalks, flower buds and flowers are eaten raw or cooked.

Medicinal Uses

All parts of the plant, but especially the bulb and fresh leaves, are strongly emetic and are not used internally. The fresh leaves are antiscrofulatic and emollient, used as an infusion or stimulating poultice applied to swellings, tumours and scrofulous ulcers. The juice from crushed leaves has been applied to wounds that are not healing. A poultice of crushed bulbs has been applied to swellings and to help remove splinters. The raw plant, excluding the roots, has been used by native North American young girls to prevent conception.

Known Hazards

Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, the following notes have been seen for another member of this genus and so some caution is advised. Skin contact with the bulbs has been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in rich, moist forests and in valley bottoms. It suits hardiness zones 3-9.

Where It Grows

Australia, Canada, Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, North America, Spain, USA,

Cultivation

Prefers slightly acid soil conditions but succeeds in chalky soils if these contain plenty of humus. Requires semi-shade, preferably provided by trees or shrubs, and a well-drained soil. Succeeds in almost any light soil, preferring one that is rich in humus. Nonflowering plants far outnumber flowering ones in most populations because of their extensive stolon production. This species does not flower very freely, increasing mainly by its stoloniferous habit. The flowers only open in warm sun. When established in woodland, this species can spread very freely by means of underground roots. Flowers are produced in 3 - 4 years from seed. Ephemeral emerging in spring and dying back by summer every year.

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame. Water lightly in summer; it should germinate in autumn or winter. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and should be sown as early in spring as possible in a cold frame. Sow thinly so that seedlings will not need pricking out in their first year. Give an occasional liquid feed to prevent nutrient deficiency. When plants are dormant, pot up the small bulbs 2–3 per pot and grow on in a shady position in the greenhouse for a further 2–3 years before planting out into permanent positions when dormant in late summer. This species does not produce offsets, so division in summer as the leaves die down is the only vegetative option.

Other Uses

Plants spread freely by means of underground stems and make a delightful ground cover in dappled shade. The plants are only in growth from late winter to late spring, so the ground cover effect is ephemeral.

Notes

There are about 22 Erythronium species.

References (10)

• Bot. Mag. 28: t. 1113. 1808
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 563
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 143
• Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 95
• Jackes, D. A., Edible Forest Gardens

More from Liliaceae

Lilium rosthornii

Lilium rubellum

Lilium sargentiae

Lilium species - .

Lilium speciosum var. gloriosoides

Yao bai he

Lilium superbum

Swamp Lily, Turk's-cap lily, American Turk's Cap Lily