Deep in the forests of Georgia, at the Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve, millions of Trout Lilies bloom every spring. Sprawling across 15 acres of the preserve, this is the largest known colony of Trout Lilies that is suspected to have thrived in this location for hundreds of years.
But you need not wander that far to see this beauty. Noted by her sweet yellow blooms and speckled leaves, the Trout Lily, or Erythronium americanum, can be found from southern Ontario to Georgia, west to Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma, and north to Minnesota.
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Photo ©2012, Jen Payne
hmm, will have to start looking for them! Never knew of them.
I located some of the spotted trout lily leaves sometime last year and have been waiting for them to flower. It’s worth the wait. They’re currently in bloom!
Aren’t they lovely? And the leaves? They say the plant gets its name because the spotted leaves look like a trout!
They do tend to blend in a little – but return year after year in the same spot, so always a chance to look again!
Blooms sometime coincide with the start of trout season — a good reminder.
Trout season and the arrival of many more folks in the forest!
I think I’ve seen those babies!!! A name to the face, so to speak. They are pretty and your photos make it easy to do an identification :-) I’ll be looking out for them. I’m halfway between Ontario and Georgia. Thanks.
I’m teaching myself these little ones as we go along – it’s fun to discover them (in the woods and then in the books)!
I imagine Trout Lily is blooming for you now, right? Let me know when you find some!
I’m on a mission…:-)
These are beautiful hidden gems of the spring wildflower season :)
Most certainly!!