Tag Archives: Erythronium

The Spring Ephemerals, part 4: Trout Lilies and Toadshade

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I love all the spring ephemerals; can’t say which are my favorites. But trout lilies are way up there.

Of the twenty some species of Erythronium, two are found in Maryland (maybe three depending on which authority you consult): E. americanum (yellow trout lily) and E. albidum (white trout lily). The latter is listed S2/threatened by the Maryland DNR. I figured I’d miss seeing both this year, but a little luck and persistence led me to a single white one blooming, and in the process I found a hillside covered in yellow ones (I stopped counting at 35). Here are a few pictures.

I know of two spots where white trout lilies grow. I spent more than an hour searching one of those areas after someone posted a picture of a white trout lily blooming. Couldn’t find it. Hiked to another area, shot the yellow trout lilies, then decided to go back for one more look. Pulled out my phone and searched for the picture, and sure enough, there were enough clues in it that I was able to narrow my search to a small area. Et voila! The one shown here in bud was from the other location, the day before.

Toadshade is a species of trillium, T. sessile (Melanthiaceae). The three maroon petals stay closed; the plants shown here are in full bloom.  

What’s Up? Yellow

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Still no time to write anything substantial. Here are some yellow flowers, now (or recently) blooming in the Maryland piedmont.

 

 

a yellow haze of spicebush flowers (Lindera benzoin; Lauraceae)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

another flowering shrub, leatherwood (Dirca palustris; Thymelaeaceae), S2/threatened in Maryland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

trout lilies (Erythronium americanum; Liliaceae) will be blooming for another week or so in the Potomac gorge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corydalis flavula (short-spurred corydalis or yellow fumewort; Papaveraceae)

 

 

one very early sessile bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia; Liliaceae); watch for more in the next week or so in the gorge, maybe a week after that further north and west in the piedmont

 

 

masses of golden ragwort (Packera aurea; Asteraceae) are blooming now along the Potomac; watch for them on the eastern part of Billy Goat C

 

 

smooth yellow violet, aka yellow forest violet  (Viola pubescens var. scabriuscula; Violaceae)

 

Quick Carderock Update

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I had a quick look around the Carderock area on Friday (March 29), and saw the following plants blooming or budding. Also had fun taking closeup shots.

Arabidopsis lyrata (lyre-leaved rockcress): a few flowers  –>

 

Boechera laevigata (smooth rockcress): buds
Cardamine angustifolia (slender toothwort): buds

<–Cardamine concatenata (cut-leaf toothwort): flowers

Claytonia virginica (spring beauty): lots of flowers
Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s breeches): a lot of buds, a few flowers

 

 

Dirca palustris (leatherwood): full bloom –>

 

 

 

<–Erythronium americanum (trout lily): gobs of leaves; 5 flowers

Lindera benzoin (spicebush): flowers

 

 

 

Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells): lots of buds, just a few open flowers    –>

 

 

 

<–Micranthes virginiensis (early saxifrage): full bloom

The next few weeks should be spectacular.

Just Pictures: Trout Lillies

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I spent a lot of time last week out and about, photographing flowers. Normally I’d spend more time writing meaningful content to post, but time is in short supply just now, so for the next few days I’m just going to post pretty pictures of spring ephemerals.

Today: trout lily, both yellow (Erythronium americanum)…

…and white (Erythronium albidum).

On one of those trips I found a second population of white trout lilies, which makes me especially happy, since this species is listed S2/threatened in Maryland.

Compressed (part 2)

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Here are some of the showier spring ephemerals to watch for in the Potomac Gorge this week.

In the floodplain close to the river, Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica; left) are approaching peak bloom. Mixed in with them in a few places are Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria; below right), which you might also find on moist, rocky outcroppings.

Trout lilies (Erythronium americanum; above left) like moist soils, too. Generally I see them in the transition areas between floodplain and slopes.

Further upslope are cut-leaf toothworts (Cardamine concatenata; left).

 

On drier slopes watch for scattered patches of bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis; below).

 

 

Look for twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla; below) in moist, rocky areas. They like limestone soils, so aren’t as widespread as these other species, but where they do grow they they tend to grow en masse.

Spring beauties (Claytonia virginica; below) are just about everywhere.

 

 

 

 

More tomorrow.