The yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) takes its name from the mottled green-and-brown leaves that appear on the forest floor before the canopy leafs out in the springtime. If you squint, you might see the fishy resemblance. The plant puts out a yellow six-petaled, downward-facing flower a few inches off the forest floor. The petals of this flower recurve backwards on warm days as the flower matures. The plant can be seen at Glenstone on certain points of the Woodland Trail, and its range is extensive in eastern North America. Its cousin, the white trout lily (Erythronium albidum) is rare in Maryland, though more common in other parts of the country.

–Kevin McDonald