Trout Lily

This is a maybe less-well known wild edible than some of the others I’ve written about, and while it tastes good, the main reason I want you to know this plant is because of the type of climate it inhabits.

This flower might actually be protected

Plant Profile:

Scientific Name: Erythronium americanum, Other Erythronium sp.

Preferred Habitat: Mature mixed hardwood forests, especially the areas where ramps, bloodroot, and scarlet cups are found

Edible Parts: Leaves, flowers, roots (corms)

Distribution: The Midwest and East Coast regions of the United States

Harvest Season: Early spring for a short window, generally a little longer than ramps

Key Identifiers: Rubbery mottled leaves that have a “waxy” appearance, a bright yellow flower that droops as it gets older and has extended anthers and stamens

Toxic Look-Alikes: None that I’m aware of, however be VERY cautious consuming trout lily if you are pregnant as there is reason to believe it might not be safe (which I’ll talk about below)

Medicinal Qualities:

• Fever reduction

• Conception prevention (unclear how this works)

• Wound healing

• Antibacterial

• Anti-inflammatory

• Lymphatic

• Nervine

• Cystitis alleviation

• Nephritis alleviation

• Anxiety relief

• Insomnia reduction

• Relieves muscle tension

• Reduces swollen glands, ulcers and tumors

• Cancerous tumor inhibiting compounds (alpha-methylene-butyrolactone)

Uses

On top of the many medicinal uses (mainly taken via tea) the leaves and flowers can be used in salads and like you would most greens.

I’ve eaten the leaves fresh and cooked, but they are better fresh in my opinion. They tend to taste much like a sweet pea pod.

They really add some sweet flavor to a dish and can really elevate an otherwise bland salad!

*Because of the lack of clarity about how the plant interacts with pregnancy and fertility, I’d avoid this plant all together if you are pregnant or attempting to get pregnant.

The roots (also called corms) are edible too, but I haven’t personally tried them.

The only reason I’ve avoided eating the corms is because they take so long to grow and flower in the first place that I’d rather just harvest the leaves which grow back every spring.

Some people can be sensitive to some of the compounds in trout lily, so I’d probably avoid eating a whole big bowl of the leaves if you’ve never tried them before. I’d start by eating just a few leaves and waiting to see if you react poorly.

I’ve never had an issue, but you could be sensitive to them!

Growth Habits

The main reason I want you to know this flower is because it’s a clear sign of a specific type of ecosystem!

This is the type of ecosystem that many other wild spring edibles live in including ramps, spring beauty, wild ginger, violets, and mayapple.

This is one of the easiest signs to tell if ramps are nearby or not!

Typically, trout lily takes 7+ years to actually mature and flower and prefers shady understory environments (although dappled shade is fine).

Be sure to look into your state’s rules about trout lily since in some places they may be protected or endangered.

Additional Information

There are about 25-30 species of lily in this genus, many of which grow in parts of the US.

There are species in California, Florida, Washington, The Midwest, and even up into BC Canada.

I have found two other species in my time on Mt. Rainier in Washington (pictured below) and to my knowledge most of these are edible and similarly medicinal, although not much study has gone into these so local foragers would be your best source of information on your most local species.

The ones I typically find are E. americanum, (the yellow trout lily) and E. albidum (the white trout lily) but there are plenty of others.

Again, some species are protected (although I couldn’t find any protected ones in Michigan) so check your local guidelines to be sure.

Cultivars

There aren’t any cultivated varieties as far as I’m aware, but here are the two common species:

• White Trout Lily 

• Yellow Trout Lily

So TLDR; trout lily is an amazing medicinal and can add a lot of flavor to salads but be very careful consuming it for the first time or if you’re pregnant. Also, get very familiar with the habitat of the trout lily since it can be a hotspot for spring wild edibles!

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