Trillium rugelii

Common Names

Southern Nodding Trillium, Ill-Scented Trillium

Summary

Trillium rugelii Rendle is a southeastern United States native perennial in the Melanthiaceae, arising from a short, thick rhizome and reaching about 15–50 cm tall. It has a single stem with a whorl of three green leaves and a nodding flower that bears three green sepals and three white petals; the pedicellate bloom is strongly recurved below the leaves, with six stamens that may have maroon anthers on white filaments, and a white ovary that may be maroon-tinged, followed by a maroon, 3-celled capsule as fruit. It inhabits rich mesic hardwood forests, along streams, and moist, humus-rich soils in the southeastern United States; in cultivation, it can be propagated by seed sown in pots in a shady cold frame as soon as ripe (5–7 years to flowering size), by division of rhizomes after flowering, or by removing the growing point from the rhizome to stimulate offsets; suitable for cottage and informal gardens, flower borders, and underplanting of roses and shrubs.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-19.5 inches

Spread

2.5-6.5 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4a-8b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, humus-rich loam soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained

Soil pH

Acid to neutral.

Bloom Color

White, Creamy-white, Maroon, Two-colored white with base rose or dark purple

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts pollinators