White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) – A Sure Sign of Spring

On our way to our hunting property, we often drive through a hardwoods area that always lifts my spirits no matter what the time of year. During the spring turkey hunting season, typically the White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is the flower lifting my spirits, but there are many other wildflower species throughout the woods. Often called the Large-Flowered Trillium, this spring ephemeral is a bulb plant and in my mind a heck of a lot prettier than the exotic tulips and daffodils seen in people’s yards this time of the year.

IS IT ILLEGAL TO PICK TRILLIUM?

A statement I often hear is that it is illegal to pick trillium in Wisconsin. It is not illegal to pick trillium if you have the owner’s permission. Remember, however, that this is a bulb plant and without the nourishment from the leaves as it slips into dormancy, the bulb will be unable to successfully sustain itself. It may take years before it is robust enough to bloom again. This is the reason many states still have trillium on their endangered and protected lists.

TRANSPLANTING TRILLIUM

“Trilliums have not been protected since the 1970s and can be moved if you have the landowner’s permission, but please don’t take many from a grouping. Wildflowers are best enjoyed where they are originally found. Move them during the warm weather after they bloom and keep the roots moist. Make sure you are transplanting them into similar soil and light conditions.” (Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine)

Note:  To enlarge photo to see the beauty of the floral groundcover of the woods, click on gallery shot and then click again.

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