Bright trout lily blooms are harbingers of spring
Early spring is finally here. Notice that I must say “early” spring because it is still generally nippy or even downright cold in most of the Southeast. Nevertheless, we like to remember that the phenomenon of spring represents a continuum of weather, especially temperature, across a geographic area. I remember the early spring in Tallahassee when the flowers were starting to bust out, while far to the north, the birdbaths were still frozen.
The wildflower Trout lily or Fawn lily, Erythronium umbilicatum, is proof that spring (OK, early spring) arrived last week in Chattahoochee, Florida, up there near the Apalachicola River. It is one of the earliest blooming woodland species there is. And, I think you will agree, it’s one of the prettiest. Folks, I can’t be sure about this, but I am thinking that this will be one of the showiest Southeastern springs, flower-wise, on record…or maybe it’s just that I can’t wait for winter to end.
The trout lily is a perennial, North American member of the lily family, and it belongs to a genus of about 25 species. All of them have a deeply buried, slender bulb. Each mature plant produces two leaves; the leaves are strongly mottled, green, with a sort of purplish “liver” color. This plant would be perfect for botany class, especially for a discussion of flower parts.
A slender flower stalk bears a single flower, and there are six parts of the yellow perianth, that is, three sepals and three petals, beautifully and daintily striped. Within the flower are six stamens, each consisting of a long, slender filament, and at the end of each, a pollen-filled anther. The dangling anthers are generally reddish or purplish. The ovary at the bottom of the flower doesn’t have any stamens, sepals or petals attached to it, so we say that it is a “superior” ovary. After blooming, the ovary matures into a plump seed pod. While it is developing, this seed pod becomes heavier, and eventually rests directly on the ground, ultimately splitting open and letting the seeds out.
You can find this species widely from West Virginia and Maryland down to Alabama, and of course, northern Florida. It is frequently seen in patches in rich woods, often along creek banks, well before the trees above them have unfolded their leaves. The plants don't stay above the ground very long after they have produced their fruits and seeds: by summer time, all the plants will have disappeared. Is it magic? This early spring-blooming "strategy" makes sense, because when the leaves on the trees are fully expanded, there is much less available light on the forest floor. Seedlings or young plants tend to have only one leaf, and these young plants typically don't bloom.
Make sure that you take some time, soon, to investigate the wildflowers of your own particular region! If you find a patch of this splendid wildflower, try to resist the temptation of digging some up for your garden. The bulbs tend to be very deep. Besides, you can find it in the catalogs.
John Nelson is the curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia SC 29208. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit www.herbarium.org or call 803-777-8196, or email email@example.com.