My Collection of Trilliums on Wednesday's Woodland Walk

 Trillium erectum 'album'

Ahh, I just love trilliums! It has taken me years of patience to finally be able to enjoy a woodland path that is dotted with a variety of these amazing flowers! It can take up to 6-8 years for a trillium to go from seed to actually flowering, but it is soooo worth the wait!

Trillium

I discovered my first trillium while digging up ferns from a property that was going to become a road into a new housing development. I had obtained permission from the builder to take whatever plants I wanted since they were clearing everything and would soon be paved over with asphalt!  (Note: It is always important to get a property owners permission before taking a plant.  Many wildflowers are in decline, some are endangered, because of people taking them from the wild or over development. So I highly reccommend finding a nursery that grows wildflowers to buy from, unless, like this situation where the plants will be killed from construction).

It was a little nodding trillium, standing alone in the path of destruction. I'm so glad I was there to rescue it!  They are not the showiest of trilliums because its flower nods down below its leaves. After years of it blooming for me, the past two years it abruptly stopped, it is growing heartily and has actually multiplied into several plants now, so where the flowers are is another mystery!  I only have a picture of its leaves, which I'll spare you!

Purple Trillium - Trillium etectum

Many of my trilliums came in a mail order of purple trilliums years ago, they were shipped to me bareroot by a wildflower nursery. To my surprise, I think I only received a couple of actual purple trilliums.   After many years, some are just now blooming and they look a bit different!  So, I'm a bit baffled as to the exact name of some of the trilliums that have now begun blooming, one is even yellow! (I'd be thrilled if someone could identify them for me since I have spent hours on the internet trying to accurately ID them.)  It is important to make sure that the nursery you purchase wildflowers from, commercially grow them, and don't collect them from the wild. A practice we don't want to encourage since they can deplete them from an area. )

Sweet Betsy (Yellow form) orToadshade Trillium - Trillium recurvatum 'Shayi'

Whatever their names, I enjoy being surprised with their beautiful flowers each spring!

Yellow Trillium - Trillium luteum

Trillium means three-parted lily. Trilliums have three whorled leaves and a three petaled flower that comes from the center of the leaves. They can vary in color, size, mottled or solid green leaves and a host of other differences, so they can be a bit difficult to identify correctly!

Western White Trillium -Trillium ovatum (?)

White trilliums start to turn pink once they have been pollinated! This really confused me before I learned this fact. One day I was looking at a beautiful white flower and then a few days later I came out and found a pink one in its place!! I thought maybe the garden fairies were playing a trick on me!

White Trillium - Trillium grandiflorum

 Some interesting facts about Trilliums: 

* The White trillium has been known to symbolize the Holy Trinity in the Christian faith, because it's parts are in three's representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as being one.

*It is said that picking a white trillium off a mountain brings rain!

*The white flower of a White Trillium often is used to symbolize purity, beauty or recovery.

* The root of a trillium is used in natural medicine for a variety of ailments. 

*It was given the nickname birthroot by the indigenous North Americans who used it as a birthing aid!

*It is the state flower of Ohio.

*It is the emblem of the province of Onterio, Canada.

* Ants are the main source of how trillium seeds are spread!

Prarie Trillium - Trillium recurvatum (?)

Trilliums are often a favorite flower for the white tailed deer to dine on. Picking a trillium can seriously injure or kill the plant taking years for it to recover. Before we raised the wire fencing on our property, I had to put wire cages on my plants so they wouldn't be eaten by our local deer!

A little collection of trilliums along my woodland path!

Hope you enjoyed your walk with me today!

Have a great week! :-)

Tracey