“Simple, yet complex, the flower of the Trout Lily continues to bring me joy as they appear in greater numbers daily. I can hardly decide which I like best.” – Ed Lehming

On my nearly daily excursions into the local forests, every day gets a bit brighter and, supposedly, a bit warmer, and more and more wildflower blossoms appear along the trailside. The leafy patches of Trout Lily now offer more and more blossoms and I find myself greedily taking them all in.

The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum), as I have said before, is a simple delight for me. I still don’t know exactly why, but these miniature drops of sunlight have fascinated me since I first saw them many years ago. I always look forward to their bloom, which often starts out quite tentatively, with only one or two flowers opening near the end of April, if the conditions are right. Then they bloom in profusion with so many slight variations to the shape of the flower. Some open right up, looking like a sunburst, while others are a bit more demure and only partially open. There is even a variation in the colour of the anthers, with some being bright yellow like the petals, while others are deep orange, almost brown. This mix happens between and within colonies and provides the variety I mentioned.

Yesterday, I found myself enjoying them once more, looking for some new composition that would show them off the best. I decided on this low angle side shot which shows the slight curl of the petals and the pollen-laden anthers very clearly. There will be more shots, I’m sure, since I doubt I will ever tire or these wonderful, though short-lives flowers. Once the forest canopy closes in, their blooming will be at an end for another season.

Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/125 sec, f/20, ISO 800