Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium grandiflorum: Ontario's Official Flower in Snowy White

White trillium opens big and pure white, then slowly blushes pink like somebody just paid it a compliment. Three petals, three leaves and the woodland's best spring entrance. NATIVE, GRACEFUL AND EASILY FLATTERED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Trillium grandiflorum
• Common Name: White Trillium, Great White Trillium
• Height: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Large, pure white flowers up to 10 cm (4 in) across, with three petals that fade to pink as they age
• Bloom Time: Mid to late spring (April to May)
• Foliage: Three broad, green leaves in a whorl. The plant goes dormant by mid to late summer.
• Features: Tolerates clay

Where to Plant: Plant it in drifts in a woodland garden, under deciduous trees, or along a shady path, and a tray of 15 gives you a proper start on a colony. It tolerates clay. Since it goes dormant by midsummer, leave room for later plants to fill the space.

Companion Plants: Plant white trillium in a native woodland bed with spring wildflowers that share its love of moist, leafy soil. Phlox divaricata opens pale blue woodland phlox at 30 to 38 cm in April and May, right alongside the trillium. Stylophorum diphyllum adds bright yellow wood poppies at 30 to 45 cm in May and June. Eurybia divaricata 'Eastern Star' brings white wood asters at 30 to 45 cm from August to October, after the trillium goes dormant. Carex appalachica fills in at 15 to 30 cm with fine, thread-like native blades.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade to full shade, in humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil that leans acidic. It tolerates clay. Spring sun followed by summer shade under deciduous trees is ideal. Keep the soil moist through the first season, and water in dry springs. Mulch with shredded leaves every fall. Let the foliage die back naturally. Trilliums grow slowly and dislike being moved, so choose the spot once. Deer love to eat them, so protect plantings where deer browse.

History: White trillium grows wild in rich hardwood forests across eastern North America, from southern Quebec and Ontario south through the Appalachians, and Ontario adopted it as its official flower in 1937. Its seeds carry a small fatty appendage that ants collect, which helps new plants spread through the forest.

Final Thoughts: It handles clay and shade and asks for nothing. Plant a few under the trees and wait for spring. PATIENCE PAYS OFF IN PETALS.