Jane, I may be the first to answer your request. I have grown E.
americanium both in eastern Pennsylvania and now in the Blue Ridge
Mountains. I have not grown the western varieties as I was not sure what
conditions they need.
My native one grows at the edge of my woodland in moist humus rich slightly
acid woodland soil. In about 10 years it has spread to a open loose colony
about 4'-5' across. I get a few blooms but not many, they are not crowded,
I have been told that this species is somewhat shy to bloom. especially if
they are crowded, mine are not. They pop up regularly quite a way from
their large area, seed my be projected or the ants move them. I have never
fertilized them, only a wood chip mulch every few years. They carpet the
ground where a big hosta will come up about the time that they go dormant.
I just found out about the other eastern native species, one of which is
quite a heavy bloomer, E. umbilicatum.
I did some web searching and found quite a bit, apparently there are 6
eastern species, one of which is a very heavy bloomer, E. umbilicatum found
in Georgia plus other states, a white one and a pink one in Minnesota.
I found several sources of nursery grown plants:
Gardens of The Blue Ridge - NC
Archewild Native Nurseries - Quakertown, PA
Sunshine Farm - Renick, WV
Edge of the Woods Nursery - Orefield,PA they do not ship
Piney Woods Native Plant Center - TX - they have periodic plant
sales
I found a lot of info on the eastern ones on the The Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center web site as well as all the links from that site:
Native Plant Network
Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware
uswildflowers.com - pictures of E. umbilicatum on their lists
<http://uswildflowers.com/>
The propagation Protocol Database
I look forward to your article, these are one of my favorite spring
empiricals. I would very much like to know how to grow the western ones
here in the Blue Ridge Mts.
Hope this is of use to you,
Anita Roselle
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