Garden 6 min

Erythronium

On fawn lilies, patience, and plants that prefer an audience other than us

Erythronium, also called fawn lily, trout lily, or dogtooth lily, are undoubtedly some of the most elegant plants anywhere. They have the same nodding grace inherent in all lilies but in addition a demure, quiet beauty that is hard to miss.

Its six tepals are recurved, meaning they bend backwards in a graceful curve. They become more recurved as they age, and stay pointed towards the earth as if they are pointed at an audience other than us. If ever there were a good opportunity to use the word chthonic — and trust me there aren't many — now would be one of those times.

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