Trillium chloropetalum

Common Names

Giant Trillium, Wake Robin, Wood Lily, Trinity Flower, Trillium, Common Trillium

Summary

Trillium chloropetalum is a California native perennial herb that grows from a rhizome to form tidy clumps in shady woodlands. It reaches about 12–18 inches tall, with a whorl of three large, sessile leaves often mottled with chocolate brown, and a single erect flower with three lanceolate petals that can be white, cream, yellow, or deep red/burgundy, accompanied by a rose-like fragrance.

Prefers part to full shade with evenly moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil; keep soil evenly moist, avoiding soggy conditions, and note summer dormancy. It is hardy in USDA zones 6a–9b, slow to establish but long-lived; propagation by division after flowering or by seed. Deer resistant and suitable for woodland gardens, naturalized areas, ground-covering shade plantings, and underplanting of roses and shrubs.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-18 inches

Spread

6-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade to full shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained, humus-rich loamy soil with a pH slightly acidic to neutral

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.1-6.5, mildly acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Variable bloom colors including yellow, bronze, maroon, brown, deep purple, reddish brown, pink, dark purplish red, purplish bronze, white, cream, and burgundy

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green, mottled with dark brownish green

Fall Foliage Color

Purple, Chocolate, Brown, Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow growth; reaches ultimate height in about 2–5 years (0.5–1 metre).

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies and moths (likely), no information indicating attraction of bees, hummingbirds, other pollinators, or birds