THE BIOLOGY ZONE
  • Home
  • Animals
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plants
    • Native Plant Societies
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protists
  • Nature Products Store
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Madbird Feeder Cam
  • Ramblings of the Madbird Biologist
  • Bird Videos
  • News in Science
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • Resources
  • About Me

erythromium americanum - yellow trout lily

The Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is a perennial herb that grows from 6 to 9 inches tall.  It is extensively colonial.  The flowering stalk is stout. The 2 leaves are opposite and green mottled with purplish brown. They are elliptic and 4 to 6 inches long and are found near the base of the stem.

The flower tepals are from .6 to 2 inches and are yellow, often spotted with red inside, darker colored on the outside, and strongly recurved.  The inner tepals have a small, rounded auricle about .1 to .2 inches above the base.  The anthers are yellow or red and very conspicuous.


This is a common plant, and is found in rich, moist, wooded slopes throughout much of the eastern US and southeastern Canada.  It flowers from March to May.

The Yellow Trout Lily is also called Adder's Tongue, Fawn Lily, Dogtooth Violet, Deer's Tongue, Rattlesnake Violet, and Yellow Snowdrop. Trout Lilies have been referred to as "living phosphorus sinks" because their roots take up phosphorus from the soil and transfer it to the leaves where it becomes available for deer and other herbivores to eat. The leaves and roots are edible but some people are allergic to the leaves, so these should be used with caution. 

Thanks for visiting!

  • Home
  • Animals
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plants
    • Native Plant Societies
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protists
  • Nature Products Store
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Madbird Feeder Cam
  • Ramblings of the Madbird Biologist
  • Bird Videos
  • News in Science
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • Resources
  • About Me