Specimen record
Trout Lily
Erythronium americanum
Conservation note
Collect minimally — only from large colonies with many blooming plants. Never collect all plants in a patch.
Description
A delicate spring ephemeral wildflower of rich deciduous forests. Trout lily carpets the forest floor in early April before the tree canopy leafs out, taking advantage of full sunlight. Its mottled leaves resemble the spotted pattern of a brook trout.
Identification tips
- 1Single nodding yellow flower with reflexed tepals
- 2Two basal leaves, mottled brownish-green on green background
- 3Blooming plants have two leaves; non-blooming have only one
- 4Blooms for only 1–2 weeks in early April
- 5Forms large colonies via underground stolons
Specimen & preservation notes
Collect with root intact to show the corm. Press quickly as flowers wilt rapidly. Place petals face-down and spread leaves flat. These are spring ephemerals — extremely time-sensitive collection window.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into May.
Flowering records: 411 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 132 observations within 25 km