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Erythronium revolutum

Pink fawn lily

At a Glance: Large nodding pink flowers grow from a thick and segmented corm.

Height: Up to 14 inches (35 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Leaves: Basal, paired, broadly lance-shaped, to 20 cm long, green mottled with white; shape: lance-shaped; size: 20 cm (8 in) long.
Flowers: Tepals bent back, single, terminal, nodding; primary color: bright rose-pink.
Flowering Period: April.
Fruits: Erect, narrowly club shaped capsules 3-4 cm (1-1.5 in) long, abruptly narrowed at the base.


Photo © Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

(data not available)

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Food Uses: The Kwakwakawakw and possibly the Nuu-chah-nulth ate the bulbs. The Kwakwakawakw dug them with special yew-wood spades when the leaves first sprouted in the spring. Bulbs were stored in ventilated baskets in a cool place. They were sometimes eaten on hot days because they were cool and moist inside. Slightly bitter milky taste. For feasts they were steamed in cedar boxes and served with oolichan grease. Water was always taken after eating the bulbs, otherwise one would get sick.
Landscape Uses: Should be planted in woodlands and along waterways. Deep bulb-like corm requires 5-7 years before flowering.
Name Info: "Fawn" comes from John Burroughs who so named it because he thought the two leaves looked like the pricked ears of a fawn.

Suggested References

Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 1193.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 690.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 223.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 185.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 105.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.