Erythronium hendersonii, wild and cultivated

I consider Erythronium hendersonii to be the queen of all Erythronium. Admittedly, I haven’t grown or seen every species yet. But from what I’ve seen, it’s unrivalled in its range of flower colors & patterns, as well as general elegance. 

Unlike many Erythronium species, it’s quite variable in flower color and patterning - even in wild populations. It shades through all shades of purple - from vibrant to very pale, with markings of various levels of complexity. The PBS website notes that they’re fragrant, but I can’t claim to have noticed that myself. 

Its range is the Siskyou Mountains in Southern Oregon and northern California. So far, I’ve seen it at the Jacksonville Woodlands and Lower Table Rock. It seems to prefer growing at the edges of oak woodlands, especially where they shade into Ceanothus and Archtostaphylos shrublands.

In cultivation, plants seem to grow much larger with larger and more abundant flowers than wild specimens. The plants at Northwest Garden Nursery live beneath an Archtostaphylos, which puts them right at home. They reach nearly a foot tall with large and dramatically patterned flowers. I’m growing a few from seed myself - check back in 3-5 years to see what flowers mine have revealed.