- Botanical name: Erythronium dens-canis
- Common name: Dog's tooth violet
- Family: Liliaceae
- Plant Type: Bulb
Purple
Green
- Key features:
- Flowers
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.
Erythronium dens-canis bears nodding, violet, swept-back petals resembling small shooting stars. It’s perfect for growing at the front of a shady border and can also be grown through thin grass. For best results grow Erythronium dens-canis in moist soil in a shady spot, and mulch annually with leaf mould.
How to grow Erythronium dens-canis
-
Plant size
20cm height
15cm spread
-
Aspect
North facing, east facing, south facing, west facing
- Sun exposure: Dappled shade, partial shade, full shade
- Hardiness: Hardy
- Soil type: Clay / heavy / moist / chalky / alkaline / acidic
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do Plant in October |
N
Do Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does flower in April |
M
Plant does flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does not flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
Erythronium dens-canis and wildlife
Erythronium dens-canis has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Erythronium dens-canis poisonous?
Erythronium dens-canis has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Erythronium dens-canis
