Red Trillium

BY: Nancy Rose

With the striking triangular shape and rich burgundy color of its flower, red trillium (Trillium erectum) makes a dramatic addition to the woodland garden. This spring ephemeral wildflower blooms before trees leaf out and dies back by midsummer. As you might guess from the “tri” in the name, trilliums have plant parts in threes, including three petals, three sepals, and three leaves on the slender stalks that arise from their rhizomatous roots. Although red trillium is pretty, don’t stick your nose too close—the flower’s scent has been described as “wet dog” or even “rotting meat,” which accounts for another of its common names: stinking Benjamin!

Common name: Red trillium, wake-robin, stinking Benjamin
Botanical name: Trillium erectum
Plant type: herbaceous perennial
Zones: 4 to 8
Height: 8 to 18 inches
Family: Liliaceae

Growing conditions
• Sun: Full sun in early spring (under deciduous trees)
• Soil: Rich, acidic, woodland soil
• Moisture: Evenly moist

Care
• Mulch: A light layer of fallen leaves in autumn
• Pruning: None needed
• Fertilizer: An annual sprinkling of compost

Propagation
• Fresh seeds in early summer

Pests and diseases
• None

Cultivars
• None

Garden notes
• The species typically has purplish red flowers, but white-flowered forms also occur in the wild.
• Don’t cut flowering stems—removing the plant’s few leaves can set back growth severely.
• Red trillium’s fruit is a fleshy red berry that’s eaten by birds and small animals.

All in the family
• Red trillium is most often listed as a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), though some recent taxonomic references now classify Trillium in Melanthiaceae.
• There are over 40 species of Trillium; they are native to North America and Asia.

Where to buy
• Amanda’s Garden, Springwater, NY, 585-669-2275, www.amandagarden.com
• American Native Nursery, Quakertown, PA, 855-752-6862, www.americannativenursery.com
• Roane Grown Nursery, Spencer, WV, 304-927-2115, www.lwfperennials.com

(Photo by Elizabeth Noll)

Comments

By Tiffle Monday, April 02, 2012 7:03 PM

After moving to a rural area and building a home I longed to have trillium in my wooded areas. Most native plants were eliminated when this was farm land. I hesitate to buy from sources because they are most often harvested from the wild...depleting natural sources. Low and behold last year I was walking through my woods and there was a single red trillium. Where it came from I do not know. but I'm hoping there are more along the way.
BTW we used to call it "skunk flower" because of it's smell. The trillium were up about the same time as the wild leeks we gathered. This was way back in the 50's when gathering from the wild was not considered such a harm. We know better know.

By lkoeppel Thursday, June 21, 2012 9:19 AM

We have white trilliums that grow wild in our wooded land (not our homestead - yet anyway. I know they are illegal to pick, but we love to walk through the woods to see them the short while they are in bloom. I had never heard of red trilliums. Are they also protected? I have been looking for appropriate perennials to plant on my dogs' graves. I want something low maintenance since we are not there all the time for regular gardening. However the trilliums don't bloom long, does anyone know if I could plant other flowering plants with them? The graves themselves are surrounded by woods but are actually in a small clearing that does get some direct sun a few hours a day.