Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ AGM

or dog’s tooth violet ‘Pagoda’

‘Pagoda’ is one of the most delightful of spring woodland flowers and it definitely ranks high up on my list of favourites for this time of year. The good news is that you don’t need a woodland to grow it – obviously. All you need is a shady spot under a tree, where you can create your very own miniature bosky arcadia.

This is a bulbous perennial – it’s very hardy, disappears during the winter, and although it can tolerate both sun and full shade, dappled is preferred. Its smooth, glossy leaves are faintly marbled and perfectly set off the nodding, lemon yellow flowers, and when these appear you can immediately see where its name came from. Once established, it is an easy and reliable plant and over subsequent years the clump will steadily increase. There are a myriad of companion plants to choose from – epimedium, ferns, heuchera, brunnera, but having just run down to check out my own patch, I can suggest nothing better than a scattering of Milium effusum ‘Aureum’ AGM (Bowles Golden grass), with Omphalodes cappadodica and a few violets thrown in.

Damp, rich and well drained soil is called for but by its very nature, most woodland dries out in the summer and that’s fine by the dog’s tooth violet because they are summer dormant.

NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.

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