Identification
- A single stem 8 to 20 inches tall. Sometimes grow in clusters.
- Three spade-shaped leaves each taper to a sharp point.
- Leaves are bluish green and waxy with a smooth edge.
- 3 white petals with pink at base and 3 green sepals (small leaves beneath petals). Flower is 2 to 3 inches across.
- Fruit is a single, large, shiny red berry.
| Flowering |
Are some or all of the plant (s)...
Before flower - The plant emerges from the ground and the 3 leaves unfurl. The flower stem and bud appear, and the flower begins to open, but the petals are not yet fully open.
In flower - The petals are open enough to allow access to a pollinator, and have not wilted yet.
Past flower - The petals are wilted or have fallen off, leaving the 3 green sepals and a yellow ovary at the top of the flower stem.
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| Fruiting |
Are some or all of the plant(s)...
Before ripe fruit – The yellow ovary is swelling and developing into a green fruit, but has not yet ripened and turned fully red.
Ripe fruit – The fruit is considered ripe once the color has turned completely from green to red. Once the fruit is ripe, it will eventually be dispersed once it falls to the ground or is eaten by animals.
After ripe fruit – The ripe red fruit has disappeared or dropped to the ground. Look for the “missing” fruit at the tip of the remaining stem with the 3 sepal.
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Fun Facts
This species occupies moist deciduous or mixed coniferous woodlands with acidic soils at low to middle elevations.
There are other white trilliums in the region; this is the only one with a pink petal base. When not in flower, it can be identified by its erect flower/fruit stem and the small leaf stalks where the leaves attach to the stem (most others attach directly to the stem with no stalk).
It takes a trillium 4to 5 years to produce a single flower. If that flower is picked or eaten, the whole plant may die.
Trillium seeds are often dispersed by ants. Each seed has a special nutritious structure on the surface, which encourages the ant to carry the seed back to their nest.
