This Dwarf Trout Lily Still Survives — but for How Long?
- Diana Pierce
- May 28
- 3 min read
This tiny wildflower, found only in four Minnesota counties in the world, is more than a seasonal marvel. It's a signal of what we stand to lose.
One of the rarest flowers on Earth grows only in Minnesota, and it's in trouble. The dwarf trout lily exists in just four counties: Goodhue, Rice, Steele, and Carver. And each spring, there are fewer.
This isn't just a story about a wildflower.
The dwarf trout lily is a warning. It's our woodland's "canary in the coal mine": fragile, hyperlocal, and completely dependent on the right mix of shade, soil, and seasonal flooding. But those conditions are shifting fast. And this flower can't keep up.
What does it look like, and how does it move?
The dwarf trout lily's (Erythronium propullans) unopened bud is the size of a grain of rice. Once it blooms (briefly in early spring) the flower stretches no larger than a pinky fingernail.
With backward-curving pale-pink petals and yellow stamens, it stands just 2 to 4 inches tall. Its speckled leaves resemble trout skin, giving the plant its name. (As I write this, the season has ended.)
Research indicates that this species, believed to have evolved from the white trout lily no more than 9,000 years ago, rarely, if ever, produces seeds naturally. Instead, it spreads slowly underground through stolons: thin runners that grow just centimeters per year. (Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)
A colony might shift only inches in a decade. That sluggish pace makes it incredibly vulnerable to habitat loss and environmental change. (Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)
Tucked into springtime floodplains and shaded woods, this pink-tinged ephemeral can only be found in select natural areas like the Clinton Falls Scientific and Natural Area, where a tiny population still clings to life.
It's also where I met Jerry Ibberson, who along with his wife Karen, has spent nearly two decades protecting this elusive species.
"Initially we didn't even know what we were looking for," Jerry said of their first encounter back in 2007. "Then we met a DNR botanist who needed help. We stepped in and never stopped."
Since then, the Ibbersons have become fierce protectors of the lily's fragile habitat: removing invasive plants like buckthorn and garlic mustard, documenting colonies, and teaching others to notice what's right underfoot.
And that quiet work is critical. Because what's threatening this bloom is bigger than weeds.
Development. Climate shifts. Unpredictable flooding.
Dr. David Remucal, the Delores E. Isaacson Curator of Endangered Plants at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, studies the bloom on location at the Arboretum. When I asked him about the flower, he put it bluntly:
"A single weather event could wipe out a huge portion of the population."
Derek Anderson, botanist with the Minnesota Biological Survey at the DNR, has witnessed this firsthand:
"We've lost entire colonies to 12 to 18 inches of sediment," he told me. "Even healthy populations can't recover from that kind of damage. And invasive species don't just outcompete. They chemically suppress native growth."
Every season, this flower fights to return. But it's running out of time. That's why local stewards like the Ibbersons matter.
That's why telling this story matters.
"Protecting the dwarf trout lily means protecting everything that blooms with it. Spring beauties, Dutchman's breeches, hepatica. Our early woodland chorus depends on the same fragile conditions," Jerry said.
You don't have to be a botanist to help.
The Minnesota DNR needs volunteers. You can join habitat restoration efforts, monitor bloom sites, or simply raise awareness. Visit dnr.state.mn.us/volunteering to learn more.
Are you interested in prairie restoration or volunteering? Let me know for a future issue.
Every flower has a story, and some stories need telling right now.
Diana Pierce
Diana Pierce Photography
P.S. Two things:
What garden are you looking forward to visiting this year? Later this summer I'm heading to Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C. Let me know if you've been there.
My next Bloom With Me features a fan favorite getting the spotlight: Minnesota peonies! Do you like them as much as I do?
Follow @DianaPiercePhotography for more floral stories each month!
About the Author: Diana Pierce is a floral photographer, writer, and Art in Bloom participant who shares her passion for flowers and creativity through her newsletter, Bloom With Me.
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