Park update: From 7am – 3:30pm on Monday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 19, the High Line will be partially closed between 23rd and 30th Streets due to construction. Visitors can enter and exit at the 23rd Street stair/elevator and the 30th/10th Street stair. The entrances from Hudson Yards, the Connector, and the Spur remain open.

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Plant of the Week: Pagoda Yellow Dogtooth Violet

By Ayumi Akimoto | April 19, 2018

As spring bulbs emerge, the glossy, mottled leaves of a plant called Erythronium ‘Pagoda’, also called Pagoda yellow dogtooth violet, can be seen. They bloom from mid-April to May. It is in the lily family (Liliaceae), and is also known as trout lily. The common name comes from the trout fish pattern on the leaves. The genus Erythronium has 20 to 30 species found in temperate forests and meadows in the Northern Hemisphere. On the High Line, you can find a hybrid of Erythronium tulumnense and Erythronium californicum ‘White Beauty,’ native to the West coast.

You may have seen Erythronium with spotted leaves in the mountains of New England if you are a hiker. The spotted leaf species are E. albidum and E. americanum, and are native to the East coast. It is fun to see similar plants in the wild that you see in gardens such as the High Line, like seeing an animal in the wild that you have seen in a zoo. West coast native species and cultivars, including Erythronium ‘Pagoda’, have marbled leaves instead of spotted leaves.

If you walk by the Chelsea Thicket now, you can find those beautiful leaves emerging from the ground. They will soon have lemon yellow-colored nodding flowers with brown rings inside of the petals and dark purple/brown stems. This plant can reach 12 to 14 inches tall. It is deer and rabbit tolerant, and is not susceptible to pest or disease.

PLANTING TIP:
Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ prefers humus rich, well-drained soil. Plant them about 4 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Partial shade is preferable rather than full sun. It needs some moisture even when it is dormant in summer. If the conditions are good for this plant, it will produce baby bulbs called bulbils besides the parent bulb. It thrives in USDA Zones 2 through 9.

WHERE TO FIND THIS PLANT:
You can find Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ in the Chelsea Thicket, between 20th and 22nd Streets.


The High Line’s planting design is inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew up between rail tracks after the trains stopped running in the 1980s. Today, the High Line includes more than 500 species of perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees – each chosen for their hardiness, adaptability, diversity, and seasonal variation in color and texture. Some of the species that originally grew on the High Line’s rail bed are reflected in the park landscape today. Every week we share one of our gardeners’ current favorites with you.

Our horticultural team counts on members and friends like you to help keep the High Line beautiful and thriving. Join our community of supporters who play an essential role in the High Line’s most important gardening projects.

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TD Bank is the Presenting Green Sponsor of the High Line.

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