Erythronium revolutum

This species must be one of the finest and most rewarding of all the Erythroniums. I say this because of its dual-beauty created by clear pink, yellow-eyed flowers along with stunning green and purplish, mottled leaves (in its best forms). While it fails to “clump up” by comparison to its sterile cousins, I find that in ideal “woodsy” conditions (dappled shade amongst deciduous trees and shrubs with a soil enriched with plenty of well-rotted leaf mould) it will self-seed happily.

Erythronium revolutum or the Mahogany Fawn Lily, is native to N. America and enjoys a wide distribution from Vancouver Island south to N. California. In nature it flowers from March until June, while with me in East Lothian, it is at its best in April. It is a variable species both in flower and foliage and can be selected from seed. The RHS coveted Award of Garden Merit has rather surprisingly gone to the species as a whole. I say surprising as, already alluded to, this is a highly variable species and if it is offered for sale as an un-flowered seedling with an accompanying label displaying the AGM, a customer maybe perplexed having purchased a rather poor form! Perhaps I should remind readers that an AGM is awarded to meritorious garden plants as opposed to an AM or FCC which is awarded to a plant of outstanding merit as a plant for exhibition.

I can well remember fine stands of a varietal form E. revolutum var johnsonii distributed from the outstanding Aberdonian plantsman, Harold Esslemont. This form has a more splendid flower, perhaps a deeper pink than the norm, but the foliage was simply stunning with a more striking mottling. This is one to look out for, along with the named cultivar E. revolutum ‘Knightshayes Pink’. The latter choice should be propagated vegetatively.
It is possible to enjoy the most captivating drifts of this species in privately-owned gardens. Look out for opening days for the following gardens: The Savill Garden, Windsor, Knightshayes Garden and The Garden House both located in Devon. Branklyn Garden, Perth has a fine display, too.
Sources of plants:

Long Acre Plants by Mail Order, www.longacreplants.co.uk, tel: 01693 32802, Charlton Musgrove, nr Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 8EX
Kevock Garden Plants: www.kevockgarden.co.uk