I am so happy it is finally warming up and flowers are starting to bloom.
I am thinking about trilliums these days. They are such a lovely flower, and so hard to find commercially!
This is a heads up, if you want to get your hands on some of these lovelies, be on the lookout at nurseries and plant sales.
Some wholesalers may supply local nurseries but always sell out far in advance of shipping time.
There are many varieties, but locally the most common are Trillium ovatum, native to this area. The flowers are white, fading to pink or burgundy.
They like part sun to full shade and rich moist soil. They can tolerate summer drought and become dormant when the soil dries out.
This variety of trillium grows to about 45 centimetres tall, grows from rhizomes, has three bracts (which we usually call leaves) per stem, three petals, three sepals and three stamens, hence the name trillium.
There is a dwarf form found on Vancouver Island, Trillium ovatum forma hibbersonii, which has pale pink flowers. Removing any part of the plant may kill it. Many varieties of trilliums are protected in their native habitat for this reason, and populations can be depleted by a high population density of deer.
You can see a good collection of trilliums at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, including several varieties and colours. Fun fact about trilliums is that the seeds (like many forest plants) are spread by ants.
They carry the seed to their nest, eat the appendages and discard the seeds in their trash piles.
Trilliums are sometimes called “wake robins” as they bloom about the time robins return.
You might be lucky enough to spot trilliums in some our local parks, they are starting to bloom in some gardens now.
Heather Schamehorn is a certified residential landscape designer, educator, sustainability advocate and acupressure therapist. Contact via perennialpleasures.ca
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