European dog’s tooth violet

Erythronium dens-canis

Diminutive European spring ephemeral with mottled leaves and nodding pink or lilac flowers with strongly recurved petals. Bulb shape suggests a dog’s tooth, giving rise to the name.

Hardiness ratings

European dog’s tooth violet hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −40 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–7 −34 °C to −7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–3 −15 °C to 0 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Flowers March–April under deciduous canopy, dies back by midsummer
  • Differs from American E. americanum in flower colour — pink or lilac rather than yellow
  • Prefers rich moist woodland soil and dappled shade
  • Needs winter chilling to flower reliably

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check European dog’s tooth violet against your zones

Reference

European dog’s tooth violet on Wikipedia