# giant white fawn lily (*Erythronium oregonum*) The giant white fawn lily is a beautiful flower that blooms in spring. Its white petals look like little stars and can have a hint of pink. These flowers grow in shady places and are a delight to see in the wild! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Avalanche Lily ![giant white fawn lily](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Erythronium_oregonum_5581.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erythronium_oregonum_5581.JPG) ## Appearance The giant white fawn lily has large, waxy, pure white petals that gracefully curve backward, revealing a bright yellow base or throat. Its broad, mottled green leaves, often with brown spots, emerge from the forest floor. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Liliales - **Family:** Liliaceae - **Genus:** Erythronium ## Interesting facts - Ants help spread its seeds by carrying them to eat a special fatty attachment! - Each flower droops its head towards the ground, as if shyly looking down! - Its spotted leaves resemble a baby deer, giving it the name "fawn lily"! - These lilies can form large, stunning white carpets across forest floors in spring! ## Special abilities - **Snow Melt Sprint:** Giant white fawn lily has a deep bulb allowing it to sprout and bloom quickly after snow melts, utilizing early spring resources. - **Sunlight Snatcher:** Giant white fawn lily can bloom very early in spring, capturing sunlight before tall trees leaf out and create shade. - **Bulb Burial:** Giant white fawn lily uses contractile roots to pull its bulb deeper into the soil, protecting it from drought and animals. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-40 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-7 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Two-form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers. - **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browses on its tender leaves and flowers. - **Symbiotic with:** Silky Ant (*Formica fusca*) — Disperses seeds after consuming a fatty elaiosome. - **Symbiotic with:** Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (*Rhizophagus irregularis*) — Forms a beneficial underground partnership for nutrients. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch wild flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify giant white fawn lily? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is giant white fawn lily? 15-40 cm ### How wide does giant white fawn lily spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on giant white fawn lily? 3-7 cm ### When does giant white fawn lily bloom? Spring ### Is giant white fawn lily edible? Yes ### Is giant white fawn lily toxic? Mild ### What is giant white fawn lily's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bush's Pasture Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bushs-pasture-park) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Mount Pisgah Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-pisgah-arboretum) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Peavy Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/peavy-arboretum) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Dionisio Point Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dionisio-point-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Ruckle Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ruckle-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [English Camp - San Juan Island National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/english-camp-san-juan-island-national-historical-park) — Washington, US · Park [View all places to see giant white fawn lily](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/giant-white-fawn-lily) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Giant White Fawn Lily: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/giant-white-fawn-lily)