Minnesota Dwarf Trout lily, Erythronium propullans, native Minnesota Wildflowers of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lily	Erythronium propullans A. Gray	Lily (Liliaceae)	Woodland	Early Spring
Other names and notes	(Minnesota Fawn lily). The least seen of the three Minnesota species of trout lily (or Dog-tooth Violet as they are also known). This species has smaller leaves than the White Trout Lily (E. albidum) and the flower is pale pink, and only about 1/2" across compared to the White Trout Lily where the petal-like tepals themselves are 1 1/2" long. Like the other trout lilies, the leaves are mottled and the flower stalk arises from the basal leaves. Another distinguishing characteristic is that it produces an offshoot from the stem just below ground level from which a single bulblet is to be produced. It's larger cousin, E. albidum produces a bulblet from an offshoot below the current bulblet.


Above: Detail of the small 1/2" flower. Below: Note the narrow leaf on the right - typical of this plant.

Below are two historical photos from the Garden of the Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lily, both from Kodachromes taken in the Garden by Martha Crone. The upper photo on April 25, 1955 and the lower photo on April 27th, 1952. Photos courtesy Minnesota Historical Society, Martha Crone Collection.

Notes: This plant is quite rare and was first identified in 1871 when Faribault teacher Mary Hodges sent a collected example to Asa Gray at Harvard. He gave it the botanical name it has and presented a specimen of the plant to the Kew Herbarium in London the same year. The Minnesota's vascular plant list has identified only three counties in Minnesota where the plant has been collected - Goodhue, Rice and Steel. Eloise Butler first recorded planting this plant on May 17, 1909 in the north end of the bog. She obtained specimens from a source near Cannon Falls which is in Goodhue County and remarked in her log - "Poor material, probably will not grow." The plant was listed on Martha Crone's 1951 Garden Census and on all the subsequent census of Garden plants. Endangered: Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lily is currently listed on the Minnesota DNR list of endangered species. There is also a good introduced representation at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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