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Clarence A. Rechenthin. Courtesy of USDA NRCS Texas State Office., no rights reserved (CC0) · Wikimedia Commons
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Overview
Erythronium albidum is a spring-flowering perennial growing from a deep corm, reaching 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) tall in bloom. Each flowering plant produces two basal leaves, 3-6 inches (8-15 cm) long, lance-shaped and mottled with gray-green and brownish-purple markings. A single nodding flower rises on a slender leafless stalk, with six reflexed tepals that are white to pale pink on the inner face and tinged bluish outside, surrounding yellow anthers. Non-flowering plants produce only one leaf. The species spreads by offset corms and short stolons, forming colonies in which many plants stay juvenile and bloom sparingly. Foliage emerges in early spring, persists for several weeks, then dies back as the plant enters summer dormancy. E. albidum grows in deciduous woodlands, floodplains, and shaded slopes, flowering before the tree canopy closes. It tolerates seasonal flooding but needs soil that drains during the growing season. Its establishment is slow: seed-grown plants take 4-7 years to reach flowering size, and colonies widen gradually. The bare ground left after dormancy requires companion plants to fill the space through summer. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8.
Native Range
Native to central and eastern North America, ranging from Ontario and Minnesota south to Texas and Georgia. It grows in moist deciduous woods, river floodplains, and the shaded margins of prairies.Suggested Uses
Planted in woodland and shade gardens, native plant borders, and naturalized drifts beneath deciduous trees. It pairs with later-emerging ferns and perennials that cover the ground after it goes dormant.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 10"
Width/Spread3" - 6"
Reaches mature size in approximately 5 years
Bloom Information
Flowers open in early to mid spring, generally March through April, and last about two to three weeks. Each plant carries one nodding flower that opens in sunlight and closes at night and under heavy cloud. Flowering finishes before the deciduous canopy overhead fully leafs out.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
White tinged pale blue to pinkFoliage Description
Gray-green mottled with brown-purpleGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-4 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight