Erythronium albidum
| Erythronium albidum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 0.2' |
| Blooms: | Early Spring-Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Erythronium albidum (common name: white trout-lily)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame. Water lightly in summer, it should germinate in autumn or winter[1][2]. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification[1]. Sow as early in spring as possible in a cold frame. Sow the seed thinly so that it will not be necessary to prick them out for their first year of growth. Give an occasional liquid feed to the seedlings to make sure that they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants are dormant, pot up the small bulbs putting 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on in a shady position in the greenhouse for another 2 3 years and then plant them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant in late summer.
Division in summer as the leaves die down. This species does not produce offsets[2].
Cultivation: Prefers slightly acid soil conditions but succeeds in chalky soils so long as they contain plenty of humus[1]. Requires semi-shade, preferably provided by trees or shrubs, and a well-drained soil[1]. Succeeds in almost any light soil, preferring one that is rich in humus[3].
This species is closely related to E. americanum[4], but is unsatisfactory in cultivation outdoors in Britain[5]. It comes into growth early in the year and the flowers probably need more heat than is available in this country if they are to open properly[5]. A clump seen growing in light shade at Kew early in April 1995 was growing vigorously, spreading well and had lots of flower buds, but was not yet in flower[K].
Flowers are produced in 3 - 4 years from seed[1].
This species does not produce offsets[2].
Range: N. America - Ontario to Minnesota, south to Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.
Habitat: Moist woods, thickets and meadows[6][5][4].
Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked[7][8]. A delicious flavour[9]. Rather small, it is about 25mm long[4].
Young leaves - raw or cooked. Crisp, tasty, tender and mild when eaten raw[9]. Eating the leaves will greatly reduce the vigour of the bulb, so can only be recommended in times of emergency[K].
Flowers, flower buds and flower stems - raw or cooked[9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Spring-Early Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, the following notes have been seen for another member of this genus and so some caution is advised.
Skin contact with the bulbs has been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people[10].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.