In early spring, when the forest floor is a soggy brown carpet, small green spears poke up and each unfurls an elegant whorl of three green leaves. A single stalk rises at the center, and one flower with three petals opens above each leafy trio.

Trillium, a wildflower found in woodlands across North America, is also known as wakerobin, wood lily, or trinity flower.

The flower of Trillium grandiflorum has three large white petals; other species may have yellow, pink, maroon, or variegated flowers. Trillium likes a shady spot with moist, humus-rich soil.