Trout lily, white trillium and red trillium are spring ephemeral flowers found in woodlands of the Northeastern United States. They grow best in moist, rich soil with a healthy leaf litter. These flowers take advantage of the abundance of sunlight reaching the forest floor during spring and grow when soil nutrients are high before the trees leaf out. All of these flowers are very sensitive to disturbance. They also have a special relationship with ants. Their seeds have a fatty nodule called an elaiosome which ants carry off to their colony for food. Seed dispersal by ants is called myrmecochory. Ants eat the eliaosome and the seeds are left to germinate underground. However, most of these flowers spreading happens underground through bulb or corm budding. Each spring you have a narrow 2 to 3 week window during April and May to enjoy the splendor of these beautiful woodland flowers. Once the tree canopy closes these flowers will have faded. They are beautiful and are protected in many areas, so please take only pictures.

Created by Mike Adriaansen