Fawn lily facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fawn lily
Erythronium dens-canis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Liliaceae
Subfamily:	Lilioideae
Tribe:	Lilieae
Genus:	Erythronium L.
Type species
Erythronium dens-canis L.
Synonyms
Mithridatium Adans. 1763, illegitimate superfluous name Dens-canis Tourn. ex Rupp. 1745, not validly published

Erythronium, also known as the fawn lily, trout lily, dog's-tooth violet, or adder's tongue, is a group of beautiful plants. These plants are found in both Eurasia (Europe and Asia) and North America. They belong to the lily family and are very closely related to tulips.

The name Erythronium comes from an Ancient Greek word, erythros, which means "red". This name was chosen because of the red flowers of one specific type, the E. dens-canis. Most of the known Erythronium species live in North America. Only six types are found in Europe and Asia.

Discover the Many Types of Fawn Lilies

The Erythronium group includes about 20 to 30 different species. These are perennial plants, meaning they live for more than two years. They are also hardy, which means they can survive tough weather conditions. These plants bloom in the spring and have long, tooth-like bulbs underground.

Their slender stems hold flowers that hang downwards. The petals, called tepals, curve backwards. You can find these flowers in many colors, like cream, yellow, pink, and mauve. Erythronium plants naturally grow in forests and meadows in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere.

Here are some examples of the different Erythronium species:

Image	Species	Common name	Where it grows
	Erythronium albidum	White fawn-lily	Ontario, east-central United States
	Erythronium americanum	Yellow trout-lily	Eastern Canada, Eastern United States
	Erythronium californicum	California fawn-lily	Northern California
	Erythronium caucasicum	Caucasian dog's tooth violet	Caucasus, Iran
	Erythronium citrinum	Cream fawn-lily	Oregon, Northern California
	Erythronium dens-canis	Dog's-tooth violet	Southern and Central Europe
	Erythronium elegans	Coast Range fawn-lily	Oregon
	Erythronium grandiflorum	Glacier lily	Western Canada, western United States
	Erythronium helenae	Pacific fawn-lily	California
	Erythronium hendersonii	Henderson's fawn-lily	Oregon, Northern California
	Erythronium howellii	Howell's fawn-lily	Oregon, Northern California
	Erythronium idahoense	Idaho fawn-lily	Montana, Idaho, Washington state
	Erythronium japonicum	Katakuri	Japan, Korea, Russia, China
	Erythronium klamathense	Klamath fawn-lily	Oregon, Northern California
	Erythronium krylovii	Tuvan trout-lily	Russia
	Erythronium mesochoreum	Midland fawn-lily	Central United States
	Erythronium montanum	Avalanche lily	BC, Washington state, Oregon
	Erythronium multiscapideum	Sierra fawn-lily	California
	Erythronium oregonum	Giant white fawn-lily	BC, Washington, California, Oregon
	Erythronium pluriflorum	Manyflower fawn-lily	Madera Co in California
	Erythronium propullans	Dwarf trout-lily	Minnesota
	Erythronium purpurascens	Purple fawn-lily	California
	Erythronium pusaterii	Kaweah Lakes fawn-lily	Tulare Co in California
	Erythronium quinaultense	Olympic fawn-lily	Olympic Peninsula in Washington state
	Erythronium revolutum	Mahogany fawn-lily	BC, Washington state, Oregon, California
	Erythronium rostratum	Yellow trout-lily	South-central United States
	Erythronium sajanense		Krasnoyarsk in Russia
	Erythronium sibiricum	Siberian fawn-lily	Siberia, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, Mongolia
	Erythronium sulevii		Altay Krai in Russia
	Erythronium taylorii	Taylor's fawn-lily	Tuolumne Co California
	Erythronium tuolumnense	Tuolumne fawn-lily	Tuolumne Co in California
	Erythronium umbilicatum	Dimpled trout-lily	Southeastern United States

Growing and Using Fawn Lilies

Erythronium plants are very popular as ornamental plants, which means people grow them for their beauty in gardens. There are many different hybrid types and cultivars (plant varieties created by humans) that have been specially chosen for gardens. Some popular types include Erythronium 'Pagoda', E. 'Sundisc', and E. californicum 'White Beauty'.

The best way to grow new plants is by planting seeds in the autumn. You can also divide the bulbs, which works well for some species. Some types of Erythronium can even spread on their own. These plants are great for covering the ground in a garden, as they will spread out over several years.

Many Erythronium types have won awards, like the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Some of these award-winning types include:

• 'Apple Blossom' (white flowers with a yellow center)
• 'Janice' (pink flowers)
• 'Pagoda' (cream yellow flowers)

The bulb of the Erythronium plant can be eaten like a root vegetable. It can be cooked or dried, and even ground into flour. The leaves can also be cooked and eaten as a leaf vegetable. In Japan, the Erythronium japonicum is called katakuri. Its bulb is used to make starch, which is then used in food and for other purposes.

See also

In Spanish: Erythronium para niños