Western Trillium

The Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum) is a perennial herbaceous plant that spreads by underground rhizomes. It grows in both coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. They like a moist and shady location. It is a delicate plant that has a whorl of three leaves, three sepals and three petals, and grows to 4 to 18 inches. It blooms in early spring with a single white flower that fades to pink then purple as it ages, and then goes dormant in the summer. The seeds have an oil-rich covering that ants like, and they will take the seeds back to their nests for their larvae to eat the covering, and then discard the seed. This helps in dispersal of the seeds. The Western Trillium can make a wonderful addition to a woodland garden. Purchase plants from a reputable nursery.

Plants can take up to two years to germinate from seed, and then take another five to seven years for the plant to bloom. Please don’t take this plant from the wild as it will probably not survive the move.