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Trillium ovatum

Common name:	Wakerobin	Family:	Trilliaceae
Author:	Pursh.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Western N. America - Montana to British Columbia, south to California and Colorado.
Habitat:	Rich woodlands[165]. Damp woods or boggy areas in partial shade, from low valleys to elevations of 2,000 metres[212].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Pacific Trillium [P], Trillium, Western [S], Western Trillium [S], Western Wakerobin [B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	ovatum = oval

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.4m by 0.2m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

The leaves are sometimes cooked for greens[212].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Birthing aid Ophthalmic Skin.

A decoction of the fresh or dried powdered root is used as a treatment for sore eyes[207]. The fresh root juice can be dripped into an afflicted eye[257]. The juice of the plant can be applied externally as a treatment for boils[257]. A poultice of the root can be used as a treatment for boils[257].
The thick underground root stalks were used by some native North American Indian tribes during childbirth[212].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a deep well-drained woodland or humus-rich soil in a somewhat shady position that remains moist in the summer[1, 42]. Prefers a neutral to slightly acid soil[200]. Grows well in open woodland[1]. Succeeds in deep shade[188]. Succeeds in a sunny position if the soil does not dry out[42].
Any transplanting is best done whilst the plants are in flower[200].
Plants can flower in two years from seed[138].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[233], though slugs are very fond of the leaves[238].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a shaded cold frame as soon as it is ripe[134, 200]. Stored seed should be sown in late winter or early spring. Seed usually germinates within 1 - 3 months at 15° c. Another report says that seeds produce a root after the first cold stratification but no shoot is produced until after a second winter[138], whilst yet another report says that the seed can take 3 years to germinate[238]. The seedlings are prone to damp off and must therefore be watered with care and given plenty of fresh air[138]. The young plants need to be overwintered in a cold frame for the first year and can then be planted out in late spring. It is very important that the pots become neither too dry nor too wet[138].
Division with care when the plants die down after flowering[200]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the following spring.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[S] SW USA Dist. Maps from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Image from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
Images from the CalPhoto database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for trillium ovatum (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[138] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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