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Common Name: Prairie Trout Lily

General Information

Erythronium albidum mesochoreum is a Bulb up to 0.05 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, the following notes have been seen for another member of this genus and so some caution is advised.
Skin contact with the bulbs has been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people[].

Botanical References

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Range

N. America - Iowa and Nebraska to Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

Habitat

Woods, thickets and meadows[, ]. Prairies and dry woods in Texas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.05 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers slightly acid soil conditions but succeeds in chalky soils if these contain plenty of humus[]. Requires semi-shade, preferably provided by trees or shrubs, and a well-drained soil[]. Succeeds in almost any light soil, preferring one that is rich in humus[].
This species is unsatisfactory in cultivation outdoors in Britain. It comes into growth early in the year and the flowers probably need more heat than our typical spring provides if they are to open properly[].
Because stolons are absent in Erythronium mesochoreum, most plants in a population produce flowers; nonflowering plants may sometimes appear after flowering plants have flowered[].
Flowers are produced in 3 - 4 years from seed[].
This species does not produce offsets[].

Edible Uses

Bulb - raw or cooked[, ]. Rather small, it is about 20mm long[]. The bulbs are eaten avidly by children[].
Young leaves - raw or cooked. Crisp, tasty, tender and mild when eaten raw[]. Eating the leaves will greatly reduce the vigour of the bulb, so can only be recommended in times of emergency[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame. Water lightly in summer, it should germinate in autumn or winter[, ]. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification[]. Sow as early in spring as possible in a cold frame. Sow the seed thinly so that it will not be necessary to prick them out for their first year of growth. Give an occasional liquid feed to the seedlings to make sure that they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants are dormant, pot up the small bulbs putting 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on in a shady position in the greenhouse for another 2 3 years and then plant them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant in late summer.
Division in summer as the leaves die down. This species does not produce offsets[].