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Taxon  Report  
Erythronium helenae  Applegate
Pacific fawnlily,   St. Helena fawn lily
Erythronium helenae is a perennial herb (bulb) that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 4.2 (limited distribution).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~78 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Erythronium
Family: Liliaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Ultramafic affinity: 4.5 - broad endemic

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS

Information about  Erythronium helenae from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (ERHE6)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Habitat, Description: Erythronium helenae is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common names Pacific fawn lily and St. Helena fawn lily.[1] It is endemic to the coastal mountains north of the San Francisco Bay Area in California.[2] It is named for the local peak Mount Saint Helena, forming the point where Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties meet. It grows on the slopes of the mountain at elevations of 500?1200 m, often on serpentine soils.[3][4] Erythronium helenae grows from a bulb 3 to 5 centimeters wide and produces two wide leaves up to 20 centimeters long which are green mottled with brown or white. It produces erect stalks up to 30 centimeters tall, each bearing one to three flowers. The flower has white tepals with yellowish bases 3 or 4 centimeters long. The tepals develop pink or purple streaks or mottling as they age. The flower has yellow stamens with large yellow anthers.[5][6] (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/18/2024).