These stunning North American bulbs are called Trout Lilies amongst other common names due to the lovely mottled leaves. The only European species E. dens-canis is known as a Dog toothed Violet due to its bulbs looking somewhat like a dogs canine tooth(they however look nothing like a violet to me!) all the species of this Genus are elegant spring flowering bulbs that like summer shade and winter sun to duplicate the woodlands that many come from in the wild, not that you need a woodland, a large shrub will do.
E. multiscapoideum has creamy white flowers with a yellow centre and for me is one of the earliest to flower. Below is also a picture of E. tuolumnense.
They do better in climates with a distinct winter chill although I have clients in Melbourne that seem to flower them quite well.
The bulbs pull themselves down quite deeply and are fragile so when planting remember that it will be hard to shift them somewhere else. Most will also self seed gratifyingly if the ground has an undisturbed layer of leaf litter.
They aren’t usually available as dormant bulbs as they don’t have a protective skin and can’t be allowed to dry out or get badly bruised so pot grown plants are the best way to go.
At the moment I not only have both of the ones already mentioned but E. helenae, E.tuolumnense, E.origanum, E.hendersonii, E.revolutum and E.americanum. all at $15.50 per 5″ pot.
BY THE WAY IF ANY OF YOU HAVE SENT A MESSAGE TO ME VIA THIS SITE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS WE HAVEN’T BEEN GETTING THEM DUE TO A MALFUNCTION SO PLEASE TRY AGAIN.
