Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Trillium flexipes



Trillium flexipes blooms concurrent with the emergence of poison ivy in this area.



The flowers aren't always standing up proud like this one -- sometimes they're considerably more droopy.



But the more erect version is generally considered "standard". People generally like it better, at any rate, when they don't have to go poking under the leaves to find the flowers.



The flowers never point up though - always out or down.

I like to note botanical names of things here, but most of the time I have to look them up. I'd love to go around referring to everything in Latin, but honestly, I haven't committed many of those names to memory. Except with Trilliums.

This flower's most common everyday name is Bent Trillium, though I've often seen it referred to as Nodding Trillium, Drooping Trillium, or White Trillium. But there are two other similar Trilliums (rugelii and cernuum) that are also sometimes called by the very same common names. I do like the evocative terms Toadshade and Wakerobin, and if they were used consistently I'd be happy to employ them. But to avoid getting lost in the common name mire it's always best to use Latin for Trilliums.

Most of the maps don't show this Trillium here. Flowers don't read maps though, and I've found Trilliums to be poorly mapped in general. That USDA distribution site pretends to take reports, but in my experience they just ignore them.

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Nice Trillium reference page here.

12 comments:

KFarmer said...

Very pretty! I wish I had a few growing around my yard. I guess they don't like red clay :)

Rurality said...

KF, we grew them just fine in the red clay at our old house! They like limestone and lots of shade. :)

Anonymous said...

I love Trilliums. You captured it well.

We have a lot of wild ones in the mountains here in Oregon - but they don't grow too well anywhere else.

Jesse Milton said...

I vote for Toadshade.

Twinks. said...

Oh, they look so pretty! My grandma has really gotten me into gardening lately. I'll ask her about planting something like these. :)

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to see my trilliums! Thanks for sharing these photos!

Melanie Chopay said...

Now I will have to look around and see if the poison ivy here appears when the trilliums bloom. I don't have trilliums but the local botanical garden does so I will watch carefully. As for the poison ivy, I've got lots of that.

Cathy said...

I'm looking outside at the bare dirt outside my kitchen window. They'll be two types of trillium coming up there, but not for a loooonnnng time - it seems.

Your pixes are lovely.

robin andrea said...

We've been seeing the trilliums just starting to come up in the woods on our walks lately. They're very beautiful pushing through the fallen leaves. I wonder if the deer don't like to munch on them, and if they would make a good shade flower on the north side of our house. I'm going to have to do some googling. Beautiful and inspiring pics, karen.

lisa said...

Nice! I have quite a few trillium around here, but not yet. I need to find one of these to buy, I'm kinda collecting them. Thanks!

Pamela said...

I grew up in the trees that tickled the edges of farms in the foothills of the cascade mountains s/w of Seattle. Of course things have changed a lot in the past 30-40 years. BUT, we had trilliums in the shadows of those big firs and cedars. Mom told me NEVER to pick them as they wouldn't grow again next year.

lovely.

Rurality said...

Karmyn, I've heard that. Snooty trilliums, LOL.

JM, I like the poetic quality of it, but I never know which one anybody's talking about when they say that...

Twinks, Trillium cuneatum is the most common one and probably the easiest. You have to make sure to put it in the shade, though!

Tom, hope you'll post pics of yours too. I'm a trillium-aholic, in case you can't tell.

Melanie, yeah we've got a bumper crop too. I'm hoping they'll figure out it's good for something one of these days, and I'll be rich. :)

Cathy, by the time more northerly folks are showing their Trilliums, it's the dog days here, and I'm jealous of their cooler weather!

RA, sadly the deer do like them. At least, the ones here do.

Lisa, this one grew very well for us, and even multiplied, back in the garden at our old house.

Pamela, your mother was right that one should never pick them!