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Mottled Trillium Wikimedia Commons
Melanthiaceae

Mottled Trillium

Trillium maculatum

Trinity and natural beauty.

Family
Melanthiaceae
Genus
Trillium
Native to
Southeastern United States
Bloom season
Spring
Type
herbaceous
Height
8-16 in
Sunlight
partial shade to full shade
Soil
moist, humus-rich
Water
moderate
Hardiness
5-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Every part of the plant comes in threes: three leaves, three petals, three sepals, and a three-chambered ovary.
  • The mottled silver and dark green pattern on its leaves inspired both its common and scientific names.
  • It can take 7 to 10 years for a trillium to grow from seed to first flower.
  • Ants help disperse the seeds by carrying them to their nests, attracted by a fatty appendage called an elaiosome.
  • The dark red flowers produce a faint musty odor that attracts flies and beetles as pollinators.

Color meanings

0

modesty

1

spiritual trinity

2

woodland mystery

Uses

  • shade gardens
  • woodland plantings
  • native plant gardens