Erythronium tuolumnense Pagoda

The Erythronium 'Pagoda' is a common bulbous plant in old French gardens, but little known to modern gardeners, despite its beautiful vigour and cold resistance. This hybrid is the hardiest and largest in this genus, which includes about 27 species distributed worldwide. 'Pagoda' offers a bright and delicate spring flowering, which takes the form of yellow lily flowers tinged with brown at the throat, even more spectacular when planted in groups for a mass effect, or in association with other spring bulbs or perennials. To succeed in its cultivation, plant it in partial shade, in a rich and well-drained soil that remains moist even in summer.

The Erythronium 'Pagoda' is a horticultural hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding between the Erythronium revolutum and the E. tuolumnense. Its first parent is native to the Northeastern United States, while the second is endemic to the moist forests of the Sierra Nevada in California. All these plants belong to the Liliaceae family, just like our garden lilies. They are residents of moist undergrowth that thrive in humiferous, rich, light, moist (without being waterlogged), acidic, neutral, or not excessively calcareous soils.

'Pagoda' takes a little while to establish and its bulb does not like to be disturbed or kept dry for too long. The plant forms leafy stems from spring onwards, reaching a height of no more than 20 cm (8in). The leaves, thick, slightly soft, and somewhat 'fleshy', are oval in shape, lanceolate, sheathing at the base. The lamina is glossy and more or less marbled with purple or bronze, rich in reflections. In March-April, reddish-brown flowering stems appear, reaching a height of 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in), each bearing 5 to 6 flowers measuring 4 to 5 cm (2in) in diameter, resembling martagon lilies. Slightly downward-facing, they are composed of 6 recurved petals. Their colour is a bright and light yellow, paler and washed with tender green on the reverse, with each petal more or less speckled with brown at the base. The bulb is cylindrical, pointed, and recurved at one end, somewhat like a large canine tooth. For this reason, Erythroniums are sometimes called 'dog's teeth'. The foliage dries up during the summer, corresponding to the bulb's resting period.

Once planted in the gardens of our grandmothers and passed down from neighbours to neighbours or from parents to children, this Erythronium 'Pagoda' has become rare. Probably because its bulbs, which should not remain out of the ground for long, are only available for a very short period. It is undoubtedly a very beautiful plant that you should plant as soon as you receive your order3. It is also a robust plant that settles quietly in the garden. It is best to leave the bulbs in place; they will flower for many years if given a place in the undergrowth or near an east-facing wall, in a shady position, in a soil that remains moist. In summer, a layer of straw will prevent water evaporation and maintain a slight humidity. Associate this 'Pagoda' variety with wood hyacinths (Scilla nutans), windflowers (Anemone blanda or coronaria), liverworts, primroses, or ranunculus, which appreciate the same environments. You can perfectly plant the bulbs in a pot, keeping the substrate always slightly moist, even in summer when the plant is at rest.