Erythronium 'Jeanette Brickell' is a named cultivar of dog's tooth violet, a spring-ephemeral bulbous perennial in the lily family and a close relative of tulips. It carries nodding, sharply reflexed white flowers with a pale yellow throat on wiry stems in early to mid-spring — several to a stem on an established corm — before going fully dormant by early summer. The common name references the narrow, tooth-shaped corms; the genus name derives from the Greek for red, describing the pink-red flowers of the type species E. dens-canis.
This plant suits a woodland garden or shaded border with reliably moist, humus-rich soil. It naturalizes slowly by offsetting corms and by self-seeding. Because foliage disappears by early summer, pairing it with later-leafing perennials prevents gaps from becoming noticeable. Corms must be planted in fall immediately upon receipt — they deteriorate rapidly if stored dry.
Botrytis (grey mould)
Grey fuzzy mould on petals and stems, worst in cool wet conditions.
Remove affected parts immediately. Improve air circulation. Avoid overhead watering. Apply copper fungicide if severe.
Crown Rot
Lower leaves yellow and wilt; the base of the rosette turns brown and soft, sometimes with white fungal threads at the soil line. Plants collapse in wet conditions.
Remove and destroy affected plants. Improve drainage and avoid overhead watering. Do not mulch directly against the crown. Space plants for airflow and avoid replanting in the same wet spot.
Fungal leaf spot
Brown or purplish spots on the leaves, often ringed with a yellow halo, that spread and merge in warm, humid, or wet weather; heavily spotted leaves yellow and drop early.
Pick off spotted leaves and clear fallen debris to remove overwintering spores. Improve air circulation by thinning, and water at the base so foliage dries quickly. If it persists, apply a copper- or sulfur-based fungicide at the first sign.