East facing, north facing, south facing, west facing
Position in border:
Middle
Shade type:
Damp
Soil
Prefers rich soil:
Acidic / Chalky / Alkaline / Clay / Heavy / Moist / Well Drained / Light / Sandy
Erythroniums are beautiful plants, and are easy to grow provided they're given the moist soil and shady woodland conditions they're used to in the wild. The English name reflects the shape of the bulb, which is said to resemble a dog's tooth.
The recurved petals of their blooms resemble small Turk's-cap lilies. The bulbous plants develop young offsets freely and sometimes underground runners, so they build steadily into impressive clumps that are best left undisturbed.
As the name suggests, Erythronium californicum is native to the mountainous woodlands of California and bears marbled leaves, above which large, white flowers appear on an upright stem. For best results grow Erythronium californicum in moist soil in a shady spot, and mulch annually with leaf mould.
Plant calendar
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Plant
yes
yes
yes
Flowers
yes
yes
Divide
yes
yes
yes
Erythronium and wildlife
Erythronium has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
