“Lone and erect, beneath light’s primal flood,
A lily! and pure as any one of you.”
- Mallarme
One of the most beautiful sights for me in spring, is driving the highways and back roads to work through rural areas and catching a glimpse of a sea of white beneath the just budding trees. I know as soon as I glimpse this scene that the trilliums are blooming in the wild. Trilliums are members of the Lily family. I like to think of them as “lilies of the woods”.
And so many times I want to stop to capture this incredible sight, but alas it is too dangerous to stop not to mention the woods are pretty muddy and I am on my way to and from work all dressed up. Oh well, instead I have been growing my own trilliums in my native garden. No I did not dig them up from a woodland, but bought them from a reputable grower. Here in New York we have many native trilliums, but I thought I would highlight 2 of the trilliums I grow.
White trillium or Trillium grandiflorum
Large-flowered white trillium are particularly stunning in a shady woodland. When they are blooming they pop visually. They rise above the leaf mulch 12-15 inches with a single flower above three large, oval leaves. These flowers are one of the longer lasting wildflowers starting as white and fading to pink as they age. Trilliums enjoy moist mulch of rotted leaves in shade or sun.
The roots were cultivated by Native Americans for medicinal purposes. The plants can also been picked, cooked and eaten as greens although you will kill the plant if too many leaves are removed. The berries and roots are poisonous if eaten. Trilliums are cultivated by dividing them when dormant. They do take many years to flower from these divisions. Mine here did take at least 4-5 years. But they are so worth it.
Yellow trillium or Trillium erectum
Here in New York we have a lovely native pale yellow trillium that grows. I have never seen it in the wild. It is Trillium erectum which may flower red or purple in other parts of the country and state. This trillium is one of the most common actually in the eastern US.
This trillium also enjoys moist part shade with early spring sun essential for it to flower. The flowers rise 1-4 inches above the leaves which is what distinguishes a Trillium erectum. The flowers last for a few weeks and then leave a berry-like fruit. The single flower is said to emit an unpleasant scent that draws pollinators such as carrion flies and beetles.
The roots were used by Native Americans in a tea to aid in childbirth and for menstrual disorders. The whole plant was made into a poultice used to treat tumors,inflammation, gangrene and ulcers. The leaves can also be eaten as cooked greens but be cautious you do not eat too many or again this plant will die back and not flower. The berries and roots are poisonous to humans, but birds and mammals love to eat the berries. I will have to look for the berries this year. perhaps they are gone quickly eaten by critters in my garden.
“It is difficult to bring people to goodness with lessons, but it is easy to do so by example.” ~Seneca
© 2012, Donna Donabella. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Donna Donabella
I love Trilliums! They are my all time favorite early spring wildflower, and I am filled with joy every year when mine bloom. Gorgeous photos, Donna!
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..A Love Letter to Wildlife
There is something so wonderful when the woods fill with this beautiful flower….that is why I grow them because I want a bit of it…they take a while to grow and colonize but even one bright face of a trillium in the garden is worth it…
Sweet flowers. If I were you, I’d go back to that forest sometime w/o my heels on and get pics of trilliums en masse!
I have often thought of that Kathy. Going on an excursion in search of pictures of trilliums with boots and camera in hand…..this may be the year.
A friend dug out a blooming trillium for me from her yard last spring. It went dormant after a few weeks. I hope it made it through the winter. I’ll be careful to watch for it in case it doesn’t bloom this year. I’m glad I read this post.
Sue I am so happy to hear that the post gave you vital info. You may have to wait to see the trillium but it is worth the wait…it will be a wonderful surprise.
Those are some really lovely flowers. The Florida Native Plant Society recently posted about Trout Lilies on the forest floor (http://fnpsblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/trout-lilies-bloom-early.html); these are some pretty cool lilies as well.
I do love trout lilies, but trilliums are also stunning as they mass throughout the woods.
Beautiful! Dreaming of spring trilliums….
Thx Ellen…such a beautiful wildflower that is often missed by folks speeding by…
Donna,
How beautiful they are, certainly worth the wait…which I’m surprised takes so long. Love that pale yellow.
I think so too Loret…I find many wildflowers take years to come into their own once they are transplanted especially those in the lily family!