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Product Info
Dimpled Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum)
Lily Family
Trout lilies are spring ephemerals, heralding the arrival of the spring with their striking, speckled leaves that emerge as early as February. These unique leaves, often compared to the markings of a trout’s skin, gradually unfold before the nodding, yellow flowers appear in mid-spring. By late spring or early summer, the plants enter dormancy, disappearing entirely until the following year.
Trout lilies thrive in rich, humusy, moist soils found in woodland settings, where they naturally form small colonies through both corm offshoots and seed. It typically takes up to 7 years from seed for a plant to produce flowers, and only mature plants with two leaves will bloom. While not heavily pollinated by insects, Trout lilies are valuable for their ecological role in controlling erosion and assisting with water uptake, particularly during early spring when few other plants are actively growing.
Blooms: Yellow, 1-2 weeks, February-March
Leaves: Mottled green & purple leaves die back by late spring
Height: 6”
Space: 6-12”
Soil: Average-Moist, organic soil with lots of leaf litter
Exposure: Shade-Part shade
Fauna: Mostly bees
Seeds: Ant distributed, can take 5-7 years from seed to flower
Deer Resistance: High
Zone: 4-9
Native Status: NC native, common in the Piedmont and Mountains, uncommon in the Coastal Plain
Provenance: North Carolina, seed and asexually grown
