Trillium cernuum

Common Names

Nodding Trillium, Whip-Poor-Will Flower, Northern Nodding Trillium, Nodding Wakerobin

Summary

Nodding trillium, also called nodding wakerobin or whip-poor-will flower, is a native perennial herb that forms long-lived clumps from an underground rhizome. It features a whorl of three leaves beneath a solitary flower on a reflexed pedicel that nods beneath the leaves, with three green sepals and three white to pale pink petals; the fruit is a dark red, six-lobed berry.

Cultivation favors rich, moist soils in woodland settings with shade; blooms in spring, typically late April to early June, potentially extending to July in northern climates; slow to establish and not transplant well; this native is well suited to woodland gardens or naturalized woodland masses and is not recommended for the Southeast.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-16 inches

Spread

2.5-6 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5b-7b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Neutral to slightly acidic

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts pollinators