The dog's tooth violets are delightful spring flowering bulbs. Spread over the northern hemisphere, (including the more diminutive European species) but with hotspots in North America. Upright stems produce elegant pendent flowers, petals reflexed, in a variety of colours, often with contrasting markings on the petals. Leaves can be glossy, with intricate marbling pattern. Suitable for growing in light shade, or at least shaded during the hotter summer months, with a soil which does not dry out too much.
Attractive and useful spring plants, the flowers of all types of Erythronium are visited by all manner of early emerging bees, including bumblebees, honeybees and solitary bees, together with hoverflies and other pollinators.