Overview
Erythronium umbilicatum is a spring-ephemeral perennial growing from a deep corm, reaching 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) tall in flower. Each blooming plant produces a pair of elliptic basal leaves 3-6 inches (7.5-15 cm) long, green mottled with brown or purple. A single nodding flower tops a leafless stalk, with six recurved yellow tepals 0.75-1.25 inches (2-3 cm) long, often bronze-tinged on the back, surrounding brown to yellow anthers. Flowering occurs from February to April, before the forest canopy leafs out. The flower is followed by a rounded capsule with a dimpled tip that rests on or near the ground, the feature behind the common name. Non-flowering plants form a single leaf and spread slowly into colonies by offset corms and seed. The species grows in rich, moist deciduous woods and along stream bottoms. Foliage dies back by early summer, leaving the plant dormant until late winter. Colonies take years to fill in, and seed-grown plants need five to seven years to bloom.
Native Range
Erythronium umbilicatum is native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia and West Virginia south to Georgia and Florida and west to Alabama. It grows in moist, rich deciduous forests, wooded slopes, and stream floodplains.Suggested Uses
Used in woodland and native shade gardens as an early spring ground layer, planted in drifts 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) apart. Suited to naturalizing under deciduous trees and along shaded stream banks. The early flowers feed emerging native bees.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 8"
Width/Spread3" - 6"
Reaches mature size in approximately 6 years
Bloom Information
Nodding yellow flowers open from February to April, ahead of canopy leaf-out. Each flower closes at night and in cloudy weather, lasting one to two weeks. Early native bees collect pollen and nectar from the open blooms.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green mottled with brown-purpleGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-6 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