# @ahs_gardening on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DH6Wivdsg6Y
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/55036115-ahs-gardening-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/7e82dee5ec.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-04-01T17:07:27.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Horticultural Society | American Gardener Magazine (@ahs_gardening) — https://gondola.cc/ahs_gardening

## Caption

*Native Plant of the Week*⁠
Trout Lilies (aka Fawn Lilies, aka Nature’s Woodland Jewelry)⁠
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Have you spotted these little woodland wonders yet? Trout or fawn lilies (Erythronium spp.) are early spring gems named for their speckled, trout-like leaves (or fawn-like, depending on your imagination).⁠
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They’re spring’s version of a limited-edition drop—blink, and they’ll be gone until next year.⁠
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East of the Rockies, these beauties are at home in floodplains and rich woodlands. The yellow trout lily (E. americanum, Zones 3–9) is a true woodland showoff with glowing yellow, star-shaped flowers floating on delicate 6-inch stems.⁠
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🌱 Tip: They love a moist, sloped woodland garden with sandy or clay soils packed with organic goodness.⁠
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Out West? You get the extra fancy ones.⁠
The coast fawn lily (E. revolutum, Zones 6–8) rocks pink petals and taller 12-inch stems, making perfect drifts along streams and in wet meadows. Think of them as the west coast’s answer to spring woodland sparkle.⁠
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✨ The Best Part?  Both species:⁠
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- Grow from corms⁠
- Naturalize over time (hello, woodland carpet)⁠
- Disappear after spring, going dormant until next year⁠
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Basically, they pop up, throw a little spring party, and ghost you by summer.⁠
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Fun Fact⁠
Meet the trout lily miner bee (Andrena erythronii). ⁠
Yes — it’s literally named after this plant because it's that loyal. This little pollinator depends on trout lilies as its go-to food source.⁠
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Gardeners: Plant trout lilies, and you’ll basically be hosting an exclusive pollinator afterparty.⁠
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💬 Have you spotted trout lilies where you garden or hike?⁠
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—Mary⁠
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Originally highlighted in “Native Ephemerals fo"Ephemeral Erythroniums” by Jane McGary in the January/February 2018 issue of American Gardener magazine.⁠
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Photos: Erythronium americanum- David G. Smith⁠ (delawarewildflowers.org)⁠
Erythronium revolutum - Richie Steffen, Great Plant Picks⁠ (greatplantpicks.org)⁠. ⁠
Female Andrena erythronii - USDA (public Domain)⁠
#NativePlantOfTheWeek #SpringEphemerals #TroutLily #FawnLily #NativePlants #WoodlandGarden #PollinatorParty #BotanyNerd #GardenGoals⁠
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## Tags

woodlandgarden, springephemerals, gardengoals, nativeplantoftheweek, pollinatorparty, fawnlily, nativeplants, botanynerd, troutlily

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