One of my favorite Lilies grow right on the side of the road, and will grow in wooded areas with semi damp soil. The common names for this plant is Trout Lily, or Dogtooth violet. (the Latin name is Erythronium americanum) It derives the name 'Trout lily" from the mottling on the leaves, which resembles the coloring of a Brook Trout. Its a Monocot, and in the Liliaceae (lily) family. The plant blooms April through May, although the plants must be mature enough to bloom. This is what accounts for the fact that you'll find big patches of the spotted leaves, but not too many flowers. I like to saute the leaves in a tad of butter, just for a minute of two. The tubers are also edible, although I have not tried them yet. Trout lily is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the woods. It's actually easy to miss them entirely, the lilies are only around 1-2 inches. I found this particular specimen growing one a riverbank.
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