Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Notes: 6 to 10 inches high
Leaf: Green mottled with purple
Flower: Flower 1 inch across
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr
Bloom Notes: In Texas, blooms at same time as redbuds and wild plums.

Distribution

USA: 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: ON
Native Distribution: Southern Ontario south to eastern Texas
Native Habitat: Low, deciduous woods; thickets; floodplains; prairies
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low , Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8) , Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: Deep, humus-rich loam; acid, neutral, and lime soils okay, moist to dry
Conditions Comments: Adapted to grow in deciduous hardwood forests, so should be planted where it will receive ample sun in early spring.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Adds white, early spring blossoms and pleasant, ground-level foliage to the woodland garden.
Use Wildlife: Deer consume leaves.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Deer Resistant: No

Propagation

Propagation Material: Root Division , Seeds
Description: The easiest way to propagate is by marking the plants in the spring and digging the offsets in late summer. Set these small bulbs at least three inches deep and mulch well. Collect seed in the spring and plant immediately. Plants propagated from seed wont bloom until their third or fourth year.
Seed Collection: Seeds mature 6-8 weeks after flowering. By then the leaves have withered so it is best to mark the plant while it is in flower. Seed capsules are light green and oval in outline. Stored seeds quickly lose viability.
Seed Treatment: None necessary. Plant circa 6 inches deep in loose, humus-rich, woodland soil.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: A leafy mulch in winter and spring is desirable. Clumps of plants that include many leaves and few flowers should be divided. Do not mow until after plant has withered.

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Sunshine Farm & Gardens - Renick, WV
American Native Nursery - Quakertown, PA

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 996 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (1994) Wasowski, Sally and Andy Wasowski
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
* The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Erythronium albidum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Erythronium albidum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Erythronium albidum