# white fawnlily (*Erythronium albidum*) The white fawnlily is a beautiful flower with delicate white petals that look like little bells. It blooms in spring and adds a lovely touch to the forest floor. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Dogtooth Violet ![white fawnlily](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Erythronium_albidum_NRCS-2.jpg&width=800) Photo: Clarence A. Rechenthin. Courtesy of USDA NRCS Texas State Office. (cropped to a 4:3 ratio by the uploader), Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erythronium_albidum_NRCS-2.jpg) ## Appearance The white fawnlily is a small plant with two broad, mottled leaves that often resemble a fawn's spots. It has a single, nodding, bell-shaped flower with six strongly recurved, creamy-white petals that often have yellow or reddish-brown markings near the base. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Liliales - **Family:** Liliaceae - **Genus:** Erythronium ## Interesting facts - Its leaves are spotted like a baby deer, giving this spring flower its 'fawnlily' name! - Many call it 'trout lily' too, because its blooming often signals trout season in rivers! - The petals of its bell-shaped flowers curl all the way back, almost touching the stem! - This early bloomer races to grow and flower before tall trees leaf out and block the sun! ## Special abilities - **Spring Sprinter:** White fawnlily grows and blooms rapidly in early spring, before trees leaf out, to capture precious sunlight. - **Energy Hoarder:** This plant has a bulb underground that stores energy, helping it survive winter and pop up early each spring. - **Ant Courier:** White fawnlily has seeds with a fatty attachment that ants love, so they carry them away, helping disperse new plants. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits flowers for nectar - **Eaten by:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses leaves and flowers - **Symbiotic with:** silvery wood ant (*Formica fusca*) — disperses seeds with elaiosomes ## Traits - [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell. - [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 Do not pick flowers without asking an adult first, and always be gentle with nature. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify white fawnlily? 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 white fawnlily? 10-30 cm ### How wide does white fawnlily spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on white fawnlily? 2-5 cm ### When does white fawnlily bloom? Spring ### Is white fawnlily edible? Yes ### Is white fawnlily toxic? Mild ### What is white fawnlily's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Anamosa State Penitentiary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anamosa-state-penitentiary) — Iowa, US · Historic District - [Busse Woods](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/busse-woods) — Illinois, US · Forest - [Chicago Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chicago-botanic-garden) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Gifford State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gifford-state-forest) — Ohio, US · Forest - [Goll Woods State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/goll-woods-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Hartman Reserve Nature Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hartman-reserve-nature-center) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see white fawnlily](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-fawnlily) ## 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: [White Fawnlily: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-fawnlily)