Trilliums and Woodlanders Page Two
by Louise Parsons
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In the enjoyment of the woodland garden, don't overlook the mosses, lichens, and liverworts. Winter rain brings out the best in tiny beauties such as this Peltigera on the left. Fascinating floor lichens are the reward for not being overly tidy. Many such as peltigeras thrive in undisturbed and decaying forest litter such as bark. Western native Trillium ovatum (right) requires shade from only the very hottest summer sun. It does best in an open soil with decayed wood such as rotted sawdust.


Trillium ovatum
Trillium coexist happily with moss or other ground covers that are not overly agressive. Such covers prevent excess compaction of the soil during our (very!) wet season. Plant some taller, summer-season perennials or deciduous shrubs nearby to help shade and cool the soil during the hot summer.


Trillium rivale is native to southern Oregon, especially the Siskiyous. Shown here is a pink form grown in a private Eugene garden. It is one of the easiest trillium to grow from seed, even when the seed has been dry-stored. T. rivale adapts well to pot or container culture and finds its way to the show bench in countries far from its native realm.


Trillium albidum (?)is native to our area, but the one shown above is a mature clump growing in a private Eugene garden.


Trillium albidum has a unique fragrance. It smells like an old-fashioned rose. Here is the more typical form with mottled leaves growing in my garden



Trillium chloropetalum (red) and T. albidum Most of my trilliums now grow under the shade of a large cup-and-saucer magnolia. They bloom better with the spring sun that they receive before the magnolia comes into full leaf. They also do best at the edge of the canopy, away from the main tree roots. I tried growing trilliums under cedars, but found the root competition too much for them during our summer drought.


Identity uncertain on this one and thus a few shots follow. T. sulcatum? Sepals are sulcate on fully open flowers and have a strongly clasping tendency (see 4th photo of this unidentified trillium)

East meets west on the right: Trillium grandiflorum prospering in a mature Eugene garden. With rich soil and even a bit of faithful summer water, the eastern species of trillium do fine here in western Oregon.


In this Eugene garden a clump of Trillium kurabayashii has prospered for decades.


Growing in a private garden in soil deeply enriched with rotted sawdust, Trillium recurvatum also stands as proof that eastern species of trillium can do fine in Western Oregon.



Grown from seed in my garden, this Trillium cuneatum has very dark flowers. In my ignorance I sowed the seed direct and slugs ate many of the first generation of seedlings.


Now I am more careful and retain more by allowing them to stay for three or four years in pots. Use a large pot and the very best soil. Trilliums tend to make nice deep roots. I use a bamboo skewer to gently pick out any moss that forms before the babies emerge in the spring. Then I top-dress with a bit of fresh soil. In baking hot high summer I stow the pots in a cool area on the north side of my house, but here in early spring I enjoy them on our back porch on the east side of the house.



Growing from seed is such a thrill. In the third or forth year, the trilliums can be individually planted in pots for an additional year or two. In the fifth to the seventh year, they will bloom. Every year thereafter they can increase with offsets from the main rhizome. Future generations will enjoy them too, since trillium are well-known for their longevity.
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