Trillium grandiflorum: Showy Whiteness of Spring Ephemeral Wildflower

Summary: Trillium grandiflorum is a New World wildflower native to east central Canada and the United States. Its large, showy flowers bloom from April to June.

Trillium grandiflorum, Saint-Jérôme, northwest Montreal: image by Charles de Mille-Isles, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Trillium grandiflorum is a New World wildflower native to deciduous (Latin: deciduus "that which falls off") woodlands of east central Canada and the United States.

In Canada the showy wildflower is found in Ontario eastward through Quebec and then skips over New Brunswick to form a disjunct, or separate, population in Nova Scotia.

In the United States Trillium grandiflorum claims native habitats along the Eastern Seaboard -- excluding Florida -- westward through Minnesota, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.

Trillium grandiflorum is known commonly as great white trillium, large-flowered trillium, snowy trillium, white trillium, white wake-robin or wood lily.

Trillium grandiflorum favors triplets in floral foliage. The stem, topped with a whorl of three large green leaves, emerges from a rhizome, an underground rootstock. Rising above the leafy whorl, a stalk conspicuously displays the plant's flower, which features three large, pure white petals with three small green sepals.

Blooming from April to June, the elegant, showy flowers link late spring with early summer. As they age, petals blush with pink tones.

The wildflower's ephemeral beauty is recognized governmentally. Since 1937 Ontario has designated Trillium grandiflorum as the province's emblem. Since 1987 the floral beauty has represented Ohio as state wildflower.

Trillium grandiflorum is a delight to behold, appreciated throughout its native homelands for its exquisite beauty.

Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum opens with light pink petals; Trillium grandiflorum 'Roseum' at Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Scotland; May 5, 2011: S. Rae, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Trillium grandiflorum, Saint-Jérôme, northwest Montreal: image by Charles de Mille-Isles, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/demartigny/5746872117/

Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum opens with light pink petals; Trillium grandiflorum 'Roseum' at Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Scotland; May 5, 2011: S. Rae, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/35142635@N05/5692719194/

For further information:

Druse, Ken. The Natural Shade Garden. New York NY: Clarkson Potter, 1992.