Description
Trillium – Trinity Flower – Wakerobin – Wood Lily –
There are about 40-50 rhizomatous, deciduous perennial in the lily family in this genus. They naturally occur in woodland and scrub in temperate North America, with a few species in the Western Himalayas and Northeast Asia. It produces erect, rarely procumbent, short stems each bear an apical whorl of 3 lance shaped or elliptic to ovate or diamond shaped, net veined, often silver or purple marbled leaves. Upright or nodding, terminal, solitary, funnel or cup shaped flowers, with whorls of 3 leaf like, often reflexed outer sepals, and 3 inner petals, are either stalkless and surrounded by the leaves, or stalked and borne above or below the leaves. Suitable for a moist, shady border or woodland garden. Grow the smaller species, T. nivale and T.. rivale, in a pocket in a rock garden.
Grow in moist but well drained, deep, humus rich, preferably acidic to neutral soil, although some will grow in moderately alkaline soils, in deep or partial shade. Mulch annually in autumn with leaf mold. Do not pick leaves or flowers, if you do it may take several years to recover.
Prone to rust, smut, fungal spots and slugs and snails.
T. luteum – Yellow Trillium – Wood Trillium – T. Sessile var. luteum – This upright, clump forming perennial from Southeastern USA grows 16″ tall and 12″ wide. It produces stalkless, elliptic to broadly ovate, abruptly pointed, mid green leaves, to 6″ long, heavily mottled paler green. Stalkless, upright, lemon scented, golden or bronze green flowers, with inversely lance shaped to narrowly elliptic petals, to 3 ½’ long, and lance shaped, mid green sepals, are held above the leaves in spring
Zones 5-7
