Avalanche Lily, Yellow avalanche-lily
Erythronium grandiflorum
Family: Liliaceae
What it is like
Erythronium grandiflorum is a BULB growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Sagebrush, open woodland and grassy mountain slopes, sometimes to the tree line. Rich moist soil along the banks of streams, shaded woods and sub-alpine meadows, often in large patches.
Western N. America - British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Wyoming and Colorado.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Bulb - raw or cooked. The slender bulbs, which are up to 5cm long, are usually harvested in the spring as the first leaves appear above ground, they can be stored for some months in a cool place. The raw bulb has a slightly bitter milky taste, the texture is cool and moist inside and so the North American Indians liked eating them on hot days. The cooked bulb has a more starchy texture and a sweet flavour. Stored bulbs develop a sweeter flavour when cooked than fresh bulbs. The Indians always drank water after eating the bulbs because they believed that otherwise they would get sick. Large quantities can have an emetic effect. The bulbs can also be dried for later use. Leaves - raw or cooked. Eating the leaves will greatly reduce the vigour of the bulb, so can only be recommended in times of emergency. Young seedpods - raw or cooked. The cooked pods taste like French beans.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The pulverized root was applied to boils and as a wet dressing on skin sores.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
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. Not an easy species to grow in Britain, it prefers a well-drained soil that is wet in spring but rather dry in the summer. Plants are best given perfect drainage. Offsets are freely produced if the plant is growing well. Flowers are produced in 3 - 4 years from seed. Bulbs should be planted about 7cm deep.
Propagating it: 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 of the bulbs in the summer as the leaves die down. Larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up smaller bulbs and grow them on in a shady position in a greenhouse for a year before planting them out when dormant in late summer.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
Skin contact with the bulbs has been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people.