Erythronium albidum
Family:
Liliaceae
Common Name(s):
Trout lily, dogtooth violet
Flowering Time:
April to May
Fruit/Seed Maturation Sign:
Capsules droop and turn yellow; seeds rich brown color
Fruit/Seed Collection Dates:
Mid to late May
Seed Cleaning:
Sow immediately or keep capsules on a moist layer of sphagnum; separate seeds form capsule when capsule starts to disintegrate
Storage:
Intolerant of dry storage (Cullina 2000)
Restoration Potential:
Low
Notes
Of 390 seeds planted in a central Iowa demographic study, 99 (44%) germinated. None of the individuals flowered; one colony formed vegetatively, indicating it is best 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, forms colonies, the bulb sending forth elongate shoots (Fernald 1950). The closely related Erythronium americanum had a rate of vegetative spread of 1150% over six years growing on a floodplain (Holland 1981).
