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Cox, Fran

Trillium chloropetalum

Trillium chloropetalum (Torr.) Howell

Giant Wakerobin, Giant Trillium

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: trch2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Starting with a single stalk, this clump-forming trillium may eventually bear several 12-24 in. stems. Leaves, in whorls of three, are often mottled with dark blotches. Large, showy, solitary, three-parted flowers rise directly out of the leaves. Color varies from red through yellow-green to white.

This trillium is considered "not commercially viable" since it takes as long as 5 years to produce plants of flowering size. One should verify that a nursery offering this plant has indeed propagated it and not dug it from the wild.

From the Image Gallery

4 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.
Fruit: Red-purple.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red , Pink , Yellow , Green , Purple , Brown
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Flower color varies widely.

Distribution

USA: CA , OR , WA
Native Distribution: Pierce Co., WA & Willamette V., OR, s. to the n. Sierras & Coastal Ranges of c. CA
Native Habitat: Moist, brushy or wooded slopes

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)
Soil Description: Deep, rich, moist, well-drained soils.
Conditions Comments: This trillium is considered "not commercially viable" since it takes as long as 5 years to produce plants of flowering size. One should verify that a nursery offering this plant has indeed propagated it and not dug it from the wild.

Propagation

Description: Rhizome division or seed. Seeds do best when planted outdoors soon after fruits have ripened. Plant seeds 1/4 in. deep in a moist, humusy location. Seedlings take many years to bloom. Divide rhizomes in fall.
Seed Collection: As the 1/2 in. long fruit ripens, the fleshy green oval berry becomes red then purple. Separate the flesh of the mature berry from the egg-shaped seeds and clean them.
Commercially Avail: yes

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Pictures and sources for black trilliums
June 10, 2008
Do you have pictures and/or sources for Black Trilliums?
view the full question and answer

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1987 VOL. 4, NO.1 - One Million Bequest Announced, Lady Bird Johnson On Celebrating Four Years, Spri...

Additional resources

USDA: Find Trillium chloropetalum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Trillium chloropetalum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Trillium chloropetalum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-28
Research By: TWC Staff

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