Dimpled Trout Lilies (Erythronium umbilicatum)
Walking in our woods this time of year requires tip toeing through the leaf litter so as not to step on the many dimpled trout lilies ( Erythronium umbilicatum ) that have emerged. These spring ephemerals are early bloomers in the Piedmont beginning in mid-February when it can still be cold and the weather unpredictable. We have vast colonies of these beauties especially along the creek where they thrive in the moist layers of leaf litter in our woodland habitat. The mottled green and brown leaves are reminiscent of trout moving through the water giving them their common name, but also help camouflage the plant from browsing wildlife. Young plants typically have one leaf whereas the flowering plants always have two. It takes about seven years for a trout lily to flower as it takes time to build the energy in the corm to sustain the leaves and blooms. The blossoms close each night and re-open in the morning as the temperature rises. Each 'petal' is a combination se...
