Plant of the Week May 26, 2010 - Erythronium 'White Beauty'

This white-flowered trout lily lives up to its name of 'White Beauty'.  Few spring bulbs are as elegant as trout lilies.  Not only are the flowers exquisite, but the foliage is also very attractive, being green with brown mottling.  This trout lily is of hybrid origin.  The tooth-shaped bulbs are planted in the fall in the same manner as tulips and daffodils.  The leaves emerge shortly after the snow melts with flowers starting in mid-May and continuing into early June.  By late July, the leaves have withered and the plant remains hidden until next spring.  In the wild they grow in dappled woodlands so in the garden, an organic-rich soil in part-shade is ideal.  This trout lily is available from specialty nurseries in the fall.  A lovely yellow-flowered version is called 'Pagoda'.  'White Beauty' is located in our Woodland Bed and the Rhododendron Dell.