OREGON GIANT WHITE FAWN LILY Trout Lily, Erythronium oregonum
Erythronium oregonum is a North American species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common name giant white fawn lily or Oregon fawn-lily. It is native to North America, and grows at low elevations in open meadows and in mixed woodlands.
Erythronium oregonum is wildflower growing from a bulb 3 to 5 centimeters wide and produces basal, lance-shaped green leaves up to 22 centimeters long and often mottled with brown and white. Thin naked stalks up to about 40 centimeters in height each bear one to three flowers. Each flower has white tepals with yellow bases, sometimes streaked with dull red. The flower is often nodding, facing the ground. Its tepals are recurved so their points face upward.
Type: Hardy perennial
Height: 45 cm, 17"
Location: part or sun in cool climates
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Seeds per pack: 3
Germination: As with many perennials, these require a period of moist cold to help them grow. This is done by giving them a cold 'winter' period (artificial or natural), and then a warming to simulate 'spring', and time to grow! Here's how this can be done:
Obtain a planting container that has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Place the seeds just under the surface of your growing medium, and water. Place your container in a cold area (but not freezing, perhaps a refrigerator) for 4-6 weeks. Once the cold period is completed, place the container at room temperature for them to germinate. Be sure to keep the soil moist during this entire germination period. Seedlings will sprout a few weeks, or occasionally several months, after the warming period.
Alternatively, these seeds can also be planted outdoors in fall, winter, or early spring, while temperatures are still cold (but ground is workable) to germinate naturally in spring. Be sure to mark the area where you planted them, and that the soil is consistently moist.
