PLANT FOCUS blooms then more closely resemble Turk’s cap lilies. There are believed to be between 25 and 30 species of erythronium spread across temperate parts of North America, Europe and Asia, which can be split into two distinct groups: the Eurasian species and those from North America. “The American varieties are woodland plants, so they need a slightly more acidic soil, dappled shade and leafmould,” explains Ian Roger, managing director of North Yorkshire-based plant centre and nursery RV Roger, which is home to the Plant Heritage National Collection of Erythroniums. “The Eurasian ones, they’re from alpine, meadow or woodland margin habitats and will take more sunshine and a neutral pH. A moisture-retentive but free-draining soil is important for both types but, in general, erythroniums aren’t overly fussy and are fairly forgiving plants. Once they’re in, they’re easy to look after and bone hardy; you can forget about them and they’ll just keep coming back and gradually spread,” says Ian.
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pring-flowering bulbs like snowdrops, daffodils and anemones are the stalwarts of a woodland garden, but if you want something a little bit more choice to add to the mix, look no further than erythroniums. Also known as dog’s tooth violets because the white, elongated bulbs resemble canine fangs, these woodland stars, a member of the lily family, are the epitome of garden elegance, with slender upright stems topped by exotic-looking flowers held above clumps of broad, wavy leaves that are often beautifully patterned. When the flowers first emerge, they dangle from the stems like Tiffany lampshades. But in sunshine, the petals curve backwards to encourage pollinators to visit, and the
62 THE ENGLISH GARDEN MAY 2021
Above Mingling with
Primula elatior, a pink Erythronium revolutum hybrid makes for a charmingly pastel spring scene.
Spring gems Erythronium hybrids and cultivars are more vigorous, floriferous and tolerant of a wider range of conditions than the species, and they’ll also form bigger clumps more quickly. This ease and speed of growth means some are more widely available than others. “Erythroniums such as ‘Pagoda’ and ‘White Beauty’ are a good place to start,” says Ian. ‘Pagoda’, which has an RHS AGM, is probably the easiest to come by and bears large, zesty, yellow blooms above bronze-and-green mottled foliage. At 45cm it’s taller than most erythroniums, so it makes more of a show. It also clumps up quickly and is easy to grow, although it’s not quite as delicate as some. If you’re not keen on yellow then ‘White Beauty’, which also holds an AGM, is smaller, growing to about 30cm, with exquisite ivory flowers that have pale lemon centres and maroon markings. The colour range for erythroniums is white and shades of yellow and pink. “Pink is the most desirable among collectors because it’s the scarcest colour among the American species,” explains Ian.
