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White Trout Lily

Erythronium albidum

Also known as: White Fawn Lily

White-flowered sister of the more common yellow trout lily. Mottled olive-brown leaves emerge like trout flanks. Nodding reflexed-petal flower for a few weeks in early spring; foliage gone by June. Bulbs and young leaves are edible raw or cooked with a mild, pleasant flavor — but eating the leaves weakens the bulb considerably, so this is better appreciated than harvested from a home planting.

Family

Liliaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

0.5–1 ft

Spacing

0.25–0.5 ft apart

Light

part shade, shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

February, March, April

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

pollinators

Landscape uses

groundcover, container, erosion control, naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV