Yellow Trout Lily

As I understand it, the Trout Lilies get their name not from the flowers but from the leaves. As you can see, the speckled leaves of the Trout Lily are nearly as beautiful as the leaves. Early spring forests around Indiana and Kentucky (and all over eastern North America) appear to have speckled trout, breaching the woodlands floor. They are called ephemeral plants, so-called because they pop up in early spring (March, around here) and do their blooming all before the trees get their leaves. Once the leaves come out, the Trout Lilies go away until next spring.

See also, White Trout Lily.