Bloomipedia
Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum)
Photo: Annie Evankow via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Yellow trout lily

Erythronium americanum

Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is a flowering plant in the Liliaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Yellow trout lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 17 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

30states where USDA records it
17Bloomipedia state lists include it
52,949U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Erythronium americanum, the trout lily, yellow trout lily, fawn lily, yellow adder's-tongue, or yellow dogtooth violet, is a species of perennial, colony forming, spring ephemeral flower native to North America and dwelling in woodland habitats. Within its range it is a very common and widespread species, especially in eastern North America.

  • It belongs to the Liliaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 7,986 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #14 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 6,061 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #20 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 5,617 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #22 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (12,807 records)
Bloom time in the 17 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
New YorkNativeApril–May7,986
PennsylvaniaNativeApril6,061
OhioNativeApril5,617
VermontNativeApril–May4,707
MichiganNativeApril–May4,384
MarylandNativeMarch–April2,847
New JerseyNativeApril2,760
VirginiaNativeMarch–April2,432
MassachusettsNativeApril–May2,331
IndianaNativeMarch–April1,956
ConnecticutNativeApril1,910
New HampshireNativeApril–May1,544
TennesseeNativeMarch–April1,432
KentuckyNativeMarch–April1,209
MaineNativeApril–May1,165
West VirginiaNativeMarch–April668
DelawareNativeApril409

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 15 of our 17 states.
See each state
New York
Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New York. 6 NYCRR § 193.3
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: S5, secure in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Vermont
Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. Vermont E&T list
Michigan
Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. R 299.1028
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
Massachusetts
Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. MESA list
Connecticut
Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. CT E/T/SC list
New Hampshire
Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. NH Ncr 312
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: S5, secure in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Maine
Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. Maine rare plant list
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Indiana.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S2), MS (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records yellow trout lily in 30 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Jefferson, Kings, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester, Yates.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Miami, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Portage, Preble, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wood, Wyandot.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 783 counties across 26 states; the most are in Kentucky (79), Michigan (72), Ohio (66).

Other Erythronium on Bloomipedia (6): White fawnlily, Glacier lily, Giant white fawn lily, Dimpled trout lily, Avalanche lily, Beaked trout-lily.

More from the Liliaceae family (32 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Cucumber root, Bluebead lily, Checker lily, White globe lily, Yellow mariposa lily, Tolmie's pussy ears, Columbia lily, Hooker's fairybells.

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Sources