Trillium grandiflorum
The Basics:
- Size: 8-20” tall; 2-3” wide flowers.
- Color: white flowers becoming pink.
- Habitat: forest floor.
- Where to observe: woodland areas including Eastern Ridge Walk in Inwood Park.
The Details:
There’s only one word to describe White Trilliums: sweet.
White Trillium, Steven Katovich, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
A woodland wildflower, this little plant reaches just 8-20” in height with 2-3” wide, three-petaled blooms. The spring flowers start out white but take on a pink hue by mid-spring. Alas, their charm is short lived – by summer even the green leaves have disappeared, waiting below the soil to reappear the following year.
White Trillium, Elmer Verhasselt, Bugwood.org
Look for this beauty along the forest floor – try Inwood Hill Park’s Eastern Ridge Walk in Manhattan. Unfortunately, many people collect this species from natural areas resulting in reduced numbers. Don’t add to the problem — leave the plants for others to enjoy, and return home with only photos and memories of a springtime walk through the woods!
References:
- Armitage’s Garden Perennials: A Color Encyclopedia by Allan M. Armitage, published 2000 by Timber Press.
- Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City by Leslie Day, 2007, Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation by Donald J. Leopold, published 2005 by Timber Press.
Have something you’d like to recommend? Please email us at info@nycnaturenews.com.
© 2009 All rights reserved
NYC Nature News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.