Trout lilies!

Now as I had stated in my last article, Japanese knotweed is my favorite spring shoot. But as far as favorite spring woodland plant in general, the prize goes to trout lily. Between its leaves and flowers immense beauty, feeling of satisfaction when finding a patch of it, and its versatility as a wild edible make this plant one of my favorites of all time. The leaves are good, but leave a bit of a tingly feeling in the back of your throat if you eat too many (we are talking multiple pounds here), but my favorite part of this plant are the corms, found underground. These are fairly small, and trout lily colonies can take decades to establish, so be sure to not over harvest. However they are a great trailside snack. I find them slightly similar to day lily tubers. So next time you are taking a walk in the woods and you see plants that look like ramps (Or leeks if you are unfamiliar with ramps) With a spotted pattern and yellow flowers, at least take a moment to appreciate their beauty.