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What's This Wild Flowering Plant

comments (14) May 3rd, 2009 in gallery

MBerger Matt Berger, executive producer
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Help me identify these flowering plants that line our pachysandra bed
Most of them were picked to the amusement of my 4-year-old
Help me identify these flowering plants that line our pachysandra bed Click the image to enlarge.

Help me identify these flowering plants that line our pachysandra bed

Photo: matt berger
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This flowering plant comes up every year in early spring among the pachysandra bed that borders our front walk. Based on where it pops up I'd say it's wild. And the deer leave it alone, unlike the rest of the flowers. Unfortunately the kids won't and most were picked this weekend for a bouquet.

What is it?

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Comments (14)

grizmom3 writes: Yes it is Red Trillium. Interesting fact. It smells like something dead and attracts flies which help in pollination. Posted: 8:03 pm on July 24th
blossom93662 writes: Hello, i grew up in the state of west virginia and we lived in the middle of the woods and we had valleys of trilliums of all colors beautiful Posted: 11:16 pm on January 23rd
outgardening writes: WOW!! Great trillium, I have white, lavender, and yellow spotted ones- always look forward to them in early spring. Posted: 10:34 pm on June 29th
flowpow writes: trilliums are wonderful and bloom for a while. I have red and white and they pop right out of my woodlands. Posted: 7:28 am on May 29th
EnglishRosy writes: They're also called "Nosebleeds" and "Stinkpots" (they really don't smell very good...they're just beautiful!) :D Posted: 1:38 pm on May 28th
Janet71 writes: I'm glad to hear that you aren't going to pick any more of your trilliums. I had trillium 'Luteum' in my yard that just got broken by a limb falling on it and it never returned after that. Good luck with yours coming back after being cut!
Posted: 12:22 pm on May 16th
furballs writes: If you were living in Ontario and found this growing wild, and picked it, you might well be arrested ! A white Trillium is the provincial flower for the province of Ontario, and as someone commented, their habitat is threatened with development and so they are not nearly so widespread as they once were. It is real treat to walk in a woodland in early spring and see them popping up everywhere out of the leaf mold, before the trees have much foliage out. They are cultivated of course, and you can buy them for the garden from garden centres, but you must not touch them if you find them growing wild in Ontario. Posted: 2:52 pm on May 9th
Almaanne writes: This is Trillium, often called "wake robin" and I believe I have heard it referred to as "bloody nose," certainly a bad name for a beautiful plant. As a teacher facing misspelled words for 25 years, especially this one, I invite the wrter of the first comment to TRY to find the word "alot" in a dictionary. You won't find it. There is the word, allot meaning to give a share. The correct spelling is "a lot." Otherwise this was a well written explanation for this plant. Where I grew up, they were common in in the white phase. Posted: 1:06 pm on May 6th
acertrifolium writes: Trillium can divided into two groups: those that have a stem (pedicel) that elevates the flower above the three leaves or those that do not have the stem. The one pictured is a pedicilate trillium. The coloration in the photo is a bit odd but my guess is that it is Trillium erectum or "Wake Robin". Trillium grow from an underground rhizome and removing the above ground leaves will set the plant back. You may not see them next year....but I would sprinkle a small amount of an organic fertilizer (one low in nitrogen) to feed the rhizome and in another year or so you will probably see them again. The plants look pretty big..which means that the rhizome that produced them was pretty big and probably contained alot of reserves. The Indians used the rhizome to treat menstrual cramps. There are about 30 species of Trillium world wide (North America, Japan, Nepal and Eastern China). There is one species that is on the Endangered Plant List. However, many Trillium species are in danger of extinction because of the lost of habitat. Development is the culprit. They just get bulldozed into oblivion when deciduous woods are removed. The state with the most species is Georgia!! The South has the most species but there are Trillium on the West coast as well as up the East coast and into Canada. Even northern Florida has Trillium!! Most Trillium prefer shade since they are a spring ephemeral. They do most of their photosynthesizing before the trees leaf out but there are a few that will tolerate sun (T. pseudotrillium).
Posted: 9:37 am on May 6th
MBerger writes: Thanks for all of the replies! What a great resource. Now that I know all this I'm making a new house rule: No Picking the Trillium! Posted: 2:49 pm on May 5th
JudithKay writes: All comments are correct. One more thing~Look up before picking. Some Trillium can be killed if picked to close to the ground. One of my favorites. You muse have the correct ground for them! Posted: 7:33 pm on May 4th
Plantlover writes: It's a trillium. They're wonderful plants. Trillium luteum have yellow flowers with mottled leaves, Trillium vaseyi has a red flower on a petiole, a stem (from the picture I can't see if yours has a stem from the flower to the foliage)Trillium grandiflorum has a white flower, Trillium recurvatum has a purplish flower and there are more kinds of trillium. They are a native woodland plant and you are very fortunate if they come up in your garden. Some of us can only wish!

imagardener Posted: 3:50 pm on May 4th
CleomeChloe writes: beautiful picture... trillium come in whites, purples and reds... shade lovers ... in some areas they are illegal to pick in public places. I think they have a medicinal use to stop bleeding... not sure... will have to look that up. Posted: 5:07 pm on May 3rd
hostageek writes: It is a red trillium. Posted: 11:49 am on May 3rd
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