Trout lily has a very short growing season. Plants emerge in late winter-early spring as soil temperatures rise. A few weeks later, when the canopy trees leaf out, and the florest floor is in deep shade, it goes dormant. Trout lily is easily recognized by its nodding, solitary yellow flowers and narrow spotted leaves. The markings on the leaf surface loosely resemble the splotches on a book trout, hence the common name.
