# yellow trout lily (*Erythronium americanum*) The yellow trout lily is a bright yellow flower that blooms in spring. It has lovely, speckled leaves that look like fish scales, making it special and fun to find in the woods! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 55 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Dog-tooth violet ![yellow trout lily](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Erythronium_americanum_full_Radnor_Lake.jpg&width=800) Photo: Kaldari, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erythronium_americanum_full_Radnor_Lake.jpg) ## Appearance The yellow trout lily has striking, mottled green leaves that resemble a brook trout's skin, making it unique on the forest floor. Its nodding, bell-shaped flowers are bright yellow, with six petals that curve sharply backwards. These emerge on slender stalks above a pair of basal leaves. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Liliales - **Family:** Liliaceae - **Genus:** Erythronium ## Interesting facts - It takes up to seven years for a yellow trout lily seedling to produce its very first flower! - Its common name comes from the mottled leaves resembling a brook trout, while its corm looks like a dog's tooth! - The yellow trout lily's leaves and corms contain compounds that can cause a mild stomachache if eaten raw! - These 'spring ephemerals' emerge, bloom, and disappear within just a few weeks each year! ## Special abilities - **Spring Sprint:** Yellow trout lily is a 'spring ephemeral,' growing, flowering, and setting seed rapidly before tree leaves block the sunlight. - **Ant Seed Express:** Its seeds have a fatty attachment that attracts ants, which then carry and disperse the seeds, helping it spread. - **Colony Builder:** Yellow trout lily spreads by underground rhizomes, allowing a single plant to form large, dense colonies over time. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 5-15 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Early spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Drinks nectar and collects pollen from its flowers. - **Symbiotic with:** Ant species (*Aphaenogaster picea*) — Carries its seeds away to help them spread and germinate. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on its tender leaves and flowers in early spring. - **Eaten by:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — Chews holes in its leaves when they emerge from the ground. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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 pick flowers, so everyone can enjoy them! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify yellow trout 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 yellow trout lily? 10-30 cm ### How wide does yellow trout lily spread? 5-15 cm ### How big are the flowers on yellow trout lily? 2-4 cm ### When does yellow trout lily bloom? Early spring ### Is yellow trout lily edible? Yes ### Is yellow trout lily toxic? Mild ### What is yellow trout lily's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackhand-gorge-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Bristol Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bristol-downtown-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Chestnut Ridge Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chestnut-ridge-park) — New York, US · Park - [Circleville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/circleville-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Devil's Kitchen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/devils-kitchen) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Enfield Shaker Museum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/enfield-shaker-museum) — New Hampshire, US · Museum [View all places to see yellow trout lily](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-trout-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: [Yellow Trout Lily: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-trout-lily)