woodland wildflower
White fawnlily
Erythronium albidum
Also known as White Troutlily, White Dogtooth-violet, Adder's-tongue
1 of 2Native to much of the USA and southern Canada
Southern Ontario south to eastern Texas
- Light Part shade to shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry to moist Moisture preference
- Zones 4–8 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Feb–Apr Flowering time
- Height up to 1 ft to 0.3 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A woodland wildflower for part to full shade and dry to moist soil. At up to 1 ft, it tucks into shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 4–8.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee
also Western Honey Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee +33 more
Colletes inaequalis, Orange-legged Furrow Bee, Blue Orchard Bee, Wilke's Mining Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Black-and-yellow Nomad Bee, Bufflehead Mason Bee, Frigid Mining Bee, Cresson's Mining Bee, Sunflower Mining Bee, Nude Mining Bee, Ceratina dupla, Colletes nudus, Experienced Sweat Bee, Osmia pumila, Forbes' Mining Bee, Osmia collinsiae, Goatsbeard Miner Bee, Illinois Cuckoo Sweat Bee, white-winged sweat bee, Osmia albiventris, Trout-lily Mining Bee, Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans, Andrena sayi, Eucera belfragei, Eastern Cuckoo Sweat Bee, Bittercress Cuckoo Nomad Bee, Xenoglossa strenua, Spring Beauty Miner, Florida Masked Bee, Forbes's Sweat Bee, Coelioxys alternata, Maria Miner Bee - Flower flies Greater Bee Fly
also Black-shouldered Drone Fly, Volucella bombylans, Yellow-legged Bog Fly +3 more
Volucella vesiculosa, Ocyptamus costatus, Eastern Catkin Fly - Beetles Mordellistena comata also Onthophagus pennsylvanicus, Chlorophorus glaucus
- Also visited by
- Butterflies: Thecla edwardsi
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Edwards' hairstreaknectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (27): AL, AR, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV. Canada (1): ON. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Southern Ontario south to eastern TexasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Part shade to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 4–8 · Canadian 4–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Deep, humus-rich loam; acid, neutral, and lime soils okay, moist to dryThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to medium (sandy to loamy)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- Mildly acid to mildly alkalineThe acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Water use
- Low to mediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 1 ft (to 0.3 m)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Feb–AprWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.