The Flower Hour #22 — Trilliums

Here in Ontario, nothing says “Spring” like Trilliums!  After all, ever since 1937, the White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) has been the official flower and floral emblem of our province, and a stylised Trillium is our provincial logo:

Wandering into the woods and finding the floor carpeted with beautiful white, pink and dark red blossoms is usually the first, and most highly-awaited sign that spring is really here (and not the faux spring we’ve experienced earlier this month).  

Some interesting Trillium facts:

Here in Ontario, it is not illegal to pick Trilliums, that’s merely an urban legend; but

Please don’t pick any Trilliums:

• taking the blossom prevents the plant from making seed
• its seeds are spread by ants and, after germination, take six or more years to produce a flower
• picking the flower along with the stalk deprives the root system of nourishment

The pink Trillium is not a different species from the white.  The petals of the White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) “blush” as they age due to their production of anthocyanin (a pigment).

Trilliums are the ultimate triumvirate:

• three leaves
• three petals
• three sepals, producing
• three-sectioned seedpods

The triumvirate continues through its folklore, variously representing:

• Father, Son, Holy Spirit
• Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (the three patriarchs)
• birth, life, death (cycle of life)
• land, water, sky (the three elements of nature)
• body, mind, spirit (balance)

These woodland treasures are best enjoyed through the images we create with our cameras, not in vases on our tables.  By photographing and then leaving them in situ, we’ll be helping safeguard them to herald spring’s arrival for years to come.

Thank you, Terri, for another prompt to share our floral images. Reading everyone’s posts each week always makes me happy!  I hope you’ll please take a moment to visit Terri’s site to see the wonderful images she shared this week (you’ll be glad you did – promise!):

Flower Hour #22: Relaxing Beside Desert Greens

’Til next time, y’all…