Of 390 seeds planted in a central Iowa demographic study, 99 (44%) germinated. After 18 years of monitoring none of the individuals flowered; one colony formed vegetatively, indicating this species can be re-introduced with transplants (Mabry 2023). Cullina (2000) reported plants take up to 5 years to reach blooming size.
Ant dispersed spring ephemeral; seed output low; vegetative spread high (Barkely 1986, Gleason and Cronquist 1991).
Bulb deep-seated, sending out long shoots to form new plants, forming patches of a few to hundreds of plants (Fernald 1950, Runkel and Bull 2009). The closely related Erythronium americanum had a rate of vegetative spread of 1150% over six years (Holland 1981).
Pollination: A host for mining bee species that specialize on their pollen. Bowl-like flower shape appeals to spring-flying butterflies (Borge, 2020)
