Tag Archive for: Trillium erectum

Out in the woods: Trillium grandiflorum and companions

A revised post from another year with some additions. The plants are just the same :) they only flower at slightly different times every spring, region & weather depending.

Do you need ideas about North American natives woodland species to introduce into your garden? Take a hike into the woods; nature is the best expert in providing answers ;)

Trillium grandiflorum, the large white trillium and some of its companions are in flower right now. This year (2023), they flower on the same time with: Jack-in-the-pulpits (Arisaema), Viola pubescens, Viola labradorica, Viola rostrata, Trillium erectum, baneberries (Actaea), Thalictrum dioicum, Polygala paucifolia and various sedges.
Hydrophyllum virginianum (Virginia waterleaf), Podophyllum peltatum (Mayflower) and False Solomons seal (Maianthemum racemosum) are in bud.  Most of the early spring flowering companion species like: wild ginger (Asarum), Sanguinaria canadensis, Erythronium americanum, Lonicera canadensis and Hepatica are already setting fruits.

You can read about all these native species and how to grow them from seeds in the Seeds Shop pages – SEEDS List.

Trillium grandiflorum and Caulophyllum giganteum

T. grandiflorum with Asarum canadense

Podophyllum peltatum, the Mayapple

T. grandiflorum with Tiarella cordifolia

T. grandilflorum, Uvularia grandiflora, Hepatica acutiloba

Trillium erectum with T. grandiflorum

Dryopteris marginalis, wood fern

Trillium grandiflorum and Maianthemum racemosum

Arisaema triphyllum

Uvularia grandiflora and Viola pubescens

Viola rostrata

Trillium and Polygala paucifolia

Notes for the Seeds Shop

  • Updates and new additions to the Seeds List will follow in late summer–early fall.
  • Some Corydalis seeds have been collected; they will be available at the same time with the first Hepatica seeds somewhere in June.
  • The collection of Hepatica seeds will most likely start at the end of the month/early June, and will be followed by Asarum canadense, Stylophorum diphyllum and towards end of June: Sanguinaria canadensis and Erythronium americanum (if possible to collect).
    The availability of these species will be announced. Their seeds germinate best when  sown right away.

 

Out in the woods: Trillium grandiflorum and companions

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Do you need ideas about NA native woodland species to introduce into your garden? Take a hike into the woods; nature is the best expert in providing answers ;)

Trillium grandiflorum, the large white trillium and some of its companions are in flower right now and, with the current summer-like temperatures will not last long.
(other species not seen in the gallery: Erythronium americanum, Actaea rubra and A. pachypoda, Sambucus, Lonicera canadensis, Thalictrum dioicum, Hydrophyllum virginianum…)

Trillium grandiflorum and Caulophyllum giganteum

T. grandiflorum with Asarum canadense

Podophyllum peltatum, the Mayapple

T. grandiflorum with Tiarella cordifolia

T. grandilflorum, Uvularia grandiflora, Hepatica acutiloba

Trillium erectum with T. grandiflorum

Dryopteris marginalis, wood fern

Trillium grandiflorum and Maianthemum racemosum

Arisaema triphyllum

Uvularia grandiflora and Viola pubescens

Viola rostrata

Trillium and Polygala paucifolia

Notes for the Seeds Shop

  • The inventory of dry seeds will not be updated from now on (with the exception of two stage germinators: Lilium and Paeonia). This is the time to concentrate on the first seed collections, and most species, as it happens, require moist storage; it is a lot of work.
    Updates and new additions to the Seeds List will follow in late summer–early fall.
  • Some Corydalis seeds have been collected; they will be available at the same time with the first Hepatica seeds in June. And fingers crossed that Claytonia virginica will also be available again this year.
  • The collection of Hepatica seeds will most likely start at the end of the month/early June, and will be followed by Asarum, Stylophorum diphyllum and towards end of June: Sanguinaria canadensis and Erythronium americanum (if possible to collect).
    The availability of these species will be announced. They all require moist storage and are best sown right away.

This is how most Hepatica plants are looking at this time: new foliage has developed and the pedicels holding the fruit heads are hiding under the new leaves. This makes them hard to spot and is a good sign to keep in mind that the collecting has to be done soon.
Until the seeds are collected, I suggest a visit to the Hepatica page  where you can read more on the subject.

Hepatica acutiloba with new foliage

Hepatica acutiloba seeds catching

Harvest

Fall means harvest but not only of fruits and seeds. Because of lack of space for pots, unwillingly, last spring I kept some T. erectum seeds in their Ziploc storage bag. I said, I’ll see how it goes…I like to experiment and I didn’t want to lose one season. We need Trilliums for our new garden!

For weeks on end I forgot about them, but once in a while I added just a drop of water to the mix. Now it’s time to harvest :) They will be planted into pots to get established until the winter arrives. Coming spring, the first leaves will be ready to emerge.

Trillium erectum seedling

Trillium erectum seedling: rhizomes and first roots formed in slightly moist vermiculite/bags. Not that I recommend the method, but if one momentarily lacks the space for pots, why not?

Necessity is for sure the mother of invention. This is what I am aiming for; it seems I need to do some work on Erythronium, Sanguinaria and so on…

Trillium erectum in wild habitat

Trillium erectum in wild habitat

 

Out in the woods – thrilled about Trillium

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Trilix (Latin) = having a triple thread

If nothing else about wildflowers, one image can still thrill anyone  – the white carpeting of the woodland floor when Trillium grandiflorum is flowering; in southern Ontario sometime from late April to May.  Unfortunately, our car committed suicide, so I took this picture close to home in a remnant neighbourhood forest. You’ll just have to imagine this small patch of Trillium multiplied by hundreds, as it happens in the wild wooded areas.

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium grandiflorum – Large-flowered trillium

Not that the provincial flower of Ontario needs a description; it is all about the number 3: 3-petaled white flowers (rarely pink) with 3 green sepals above a whorl of three leaves. Usually as they age the white flowers turn light pink. Unfortunately, it goes dormant by mid-summer but after the spring display we can forgive this little shortcoming.  Sometimes, individuals with green bands on the petals can be spotted – they look interesting but it’s said to be a result of a phytoplasma infection.

Mixed in with T. grandiflorum is often Trillium erectum – Wake-robin trillium, Stinking Benjamin. It displays stunning dark-red flowers above the foliage – three pointed petals framed by 3 green or reddish green sepals. The scent of the flowers is the source for the common name Stinking Benjamin – they emit odours to attract carrion flies, which are their main pollinators.