Ah, the Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum, is a spring woodland favorite. The flowers don’t appear as often as the leaves, becasue like the Lady’s Slipper, the plant only blooms when two leaves have enough energy to grow.
Trout Lilies do not grow in the water, as you might assume. The leaves are speckled like a brook trout, and grow on the rich soils of the floodplains of streams and rivers. In the right conditions–and likely with no competition–Trout Lilies will spread across the forest floor.
We spotted these flowers on an early morning romp, so aren’t sure if they are closed because it’s early in the day and they are saving their blooming energy for when the bees are out, or if it’s early in the season and they haven’t opened yet.
Sorry we can’t give you the full effect of how they petals turn back when the flowers are fully open, but have a look here on the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center website.
the squirrel nutwork 