Trillium got its name for a reason. The plant combines the number three in an unusual way. It has three leaf blades on the stem, three petals on the inflorescence, three sepals and it takes three years for it to enter the phase of its highest decorativeness.
The culture belongs to the melanthium family and there are up to 30 species in its genus. America and Asian countries are considered to be the birthplace of the plant. In Canada, trillium is considered valuable, so it is prohibited to dig it up or cut it.
General information
Despite the fact that the homeland of trillium is very far away, it can be found in the garden plots of Russian gardeners. The plant begins to bloom in April and is one of the first to add beauty and decorativeness to the garden.
However, the culture blooms for only about two weeks, but this does not at all negate its elegance and attractiveness. The inflorescences can be either modest white or double with various bright colors, depending on the variety.
Growing trillium is not very easy, but if you follow all the recommendations of experienced gardeners, then this elegant perennial will delight you with its decorative properties for many years.
Varieties and types of trillium
– Kamchatka, China and Sakhalin are considered to be the birthplace of the plant. It is a perennial, reaching a height of up to 50 centimeters. The stem of the crop is straight, at its top there are three solid diamond-shaped, pointed leaf plates, the width of which reaches 12 centimeters. The inflorescences are small and white. The fruits are edible, presented in the form of a brown-green box. Trillium blooms from mid-April to early May.
– in the wild, the culture grows in North America and Kamchatka. The roots of the flower are short, tuberous. The stem is very short, but the peduncle reaches up to 50 centimeters in length. There are three large dark green diamond-shaped leaf plates on it. The inflorescences in the first year after planting are small, but after three years they become large and very beautiful. The petals have a white tint, which towards the end of flowering gives way to pale pink. The crop blooms in May for two weeks.
- an ornamental plant variety. The bush reaches a height of up to 30 centimeters and has large, wide leaf plates of a dark green hue. The inflorescences are large, white with corrugated, numerous petals. One bush can have up to 50 inflorescences. Trillium blooms in May. After flowering, the plant retains its decorative properties thanks to its unusual leaf blades.
– The birthplace of the plant is America. The shrub reaches a height of up to 40 centimeters and has large, diamond-shaped, dark green veiny leaf plates with a pointed end. The inflorescences are three-petaled, burgundy in color with a pungent odor. The plant blooms in early May, and its seeds ripen at the end of August.
– the shrub reaches a height of up to 25 centimeters and has three large, diamond-shaped leaf plates of a bluish-green hue with a silvery sheen at the top of the trunk. The inflorescences are small, sessile, red-brown in color with a spicy aroma. The crop blooms in May and bears fruit in August.
Luxurious shrub reaching a height of 35 centimeters. The leaf blades are large, wide, dark green with marbled streaks. The inflorescences are three-petaled, reddish-brown in color, with a pleasant, persistent, spicy aroma. This variety is the latest to bloom. Its flowering time is in June.
– this plant reaches a height of up to 30 centimeters, has an erect stem with diamond-shaped, large dark green leaf plates. The inflorescences are small with three burgundy or white petals and a yellow center. The plant blooms in May, and the seeds ripen in September.
– the shrub reaches a height of up to 25 centimeters and has large, diamond-shaped, dark green leaves with marbled streaks. The inflorescences are sessile, small, lemon-colored. The crop blooms in May and bears fruit at the end of August.
– The birthplace of the plant is North America. The shrub reaches a height of up to 60 centimeters and has a thin, single stem, with large, ovate, dark green leaves with a sharp tip. The inflorescences are white with crimson stripes in the middle and three white petals with corrugated edges. Trillium blooms in May and produces seeds in September.
– the plant reaches a height of up to 30 centimeters. It has large, wide, diamond-shaped leaf blades with white spots. Inflorescences can be brown, burgundy, yellow or two-colored. They have a pleasant aroma. The flowering time of the crop is in May.
The earliest variety of trillium. Its flowering time occurs at the end of April - beginning of May. The height of the bush reaches 15 centimeters. The leaves are dark burgundy in color, diamond-shaped and have a pointed tip. The inflorescences are white, small, three-petaled, odorless.
(Trillium Ovatum ) – the birthplace of the plant is Canada. The height of the flower reaches 50 centimeters. The leaf blades are large, wide with visible veins of a dark green hue. The inflorescences are small, with white petals, but they can be pinkish or dark burgundy. The flowering time of the crop is in April.
(Bloody Butcher or Trillium Prairie ) – North America is considered to be the birthplace of the culture. The height of the bush reaches 30 centimeters. The leaf blades are medium-sized, diamond-shaped with a pointed end of a dark green hue. The inflorescences are sessile, small with red-violet petals. The plant blooms from late May to early June.
(Bent or Hanging Trillium ) – the plant reaches a height of up to 50 centimeters. The leaves of the crop are large, diamond-shaped with a pointed end. They are dark green with marbled spots. The inflorescences are three-petaled white, with a yellow center. Flowering time lasts from late May to early June. Fruits in the form of red berries appear in August.
Terry trillium planting and care in open ground
To grow a healthy and viable plant, you need to choose the right site for planting it. Since a crop can grow in one place for up to 25 years, the site should be selected very carefully. It is best if the plant is located in the shade of trees, so that its foliage is protected from direct sunlight and the lighting is diffused. The soil in the garden bed should have good air permeability, contain humus, be fertile and slightly acidic.
Experienced gardeners advise using ready-made seedlings for planting, since in the Russian climate the seeds may not sprout. It is better to plant in the spring, after digging up the bed and mixing garden soil with compost, humus, sand and expanded clay.
Then you need to prepare small planting holes with a distance of 25 centimeters between them and put 1 tbsp on the bottom of each. spoon of superphosphate, after which it should be sprinkled with a thin layer of soil to avoid burning the root system. Next, you need to take young bushes, place them in the holes and sprinkle them with earth. After planting, the bed should be lightly compacted, watered and mulched with peat.
In the future, no special care for the crop is required. It will need to be watered, weeded, loosened and fertilized in a timely manner, and covered for the winter so that frosts do not damage the rhizome. If you follow all the rules described above, you will be able to grow luxurious plants that will delight you with their decorative properties for many years.
Lilies are also an ideal plant to decorate your garden area. They are grown when planted and cared for in open ground without much hassle, if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. You can find all the necessary recommendations for growing and care in this article.
Watering trillium
It is extremely important that the soil in which the flower grows always remains moist, so to maintain such an environment, watering must be regular. During drought, watering should be done two to three times a week; at other times, one or two waterings will be sufficient.
If the plants are mulched and grow in the shade of trees, then they will need to be watered once every few weeks, since the soil in such conditions remains wet for a long time. The gardener should also take into account that after each watering the bed must be loosened and weeds removed.
Trillium soil
The soil for the plant should be fertile with plenty of humus. The ideal option for planting the crop would be soil enriched with leaf humus.
In order for the plant to grow and develop normally, the soil mixture must be slightly acidic and well-drained. To ensure these conditions, sand and peat must be added to the garden soil before planting. In addition, peat can be used as a layer of mulch.
Trillium replanting
Trillium does not particularly welcome transplants, so they are carried out only when it is necessary to propagate the plant by bush division. The end of summer or beginning of autumn is suitable for this purpose. This period marks the end of the growing season and therefore minimal harm will be caused to the flower.
To transplant a plant to a new area, you need to dig it up, shake off the roots from the ground, carefully divide it and plant it in prepared holes with a pre-formed drainage layer. Then you should place the plants in the holes, cover them with soil, press lightly, water and mulch. It will take several weeks for trillium to adapt.
Trillium fertilizer
It is recommended to apply mineral fertilizer for ornamental flowering plants once a season during the growing season (in spring).
Organic matter must be added to the garden bed as mulch in early spring and late autumn.
Trillium bloom
The plant blooms in May. It lasts from ten days to two weeks depending on the variety. Flowers can be white or dark red. Some varieties emit a pleasant spicy aroma during flowering, and some do not.
After flowering in early autumn, red fruits are formed, hidden in brown-green boxes, which, after ripening, are used as seed material for propagation.
Trillium pruning
The crop does not need pruning. The only thing that may be needed is the removal of dry leaves and faded inflorescences to preserve the decorative effect.
You also need to trim the seeds to prevent self-sowing.
Preparing trillium for winter
Even though the plant is frost-resistant, it should be covered for the winter so that frost does not damage the rhizome.
Mulching should be done with a thick layer of dry leaves and bark before the first frost.
Trillium propagation by dividing the bush
Reproduction by bush division is carried out at the end of summer. For this purpose, take a trillium bush, carefully dig it up so as not to damage the root system, shake off the roots from the ground and divide the bush into parts with buds. The cut areas are dried and treated with crushed coal.
Then each division is planted in a permanent place of growth.
Trillium growing from seeds
The seed propagation method is rarely used, as it is very labor-intensive and not always effective. Before sowing seed material into the ground, it should be stratified; this is the only way to be sure that the seeds will begin to germinate after planting.
To do this, you need to collect the seeds after ripening and place them in the ground with a mixture of moss and peat. The container with the seeds should be placed in a plastic bag and placed in the refrigerator for three months. After this time, they are taken out and put in a dark place without removing the film for another three months. After which the container is again placed in the refrigerator for the same period.
When stratification is completed, the seeds should be taken out, transferred to a warm and bright place, moistened the soil and wait for them to germinate. When they germinate (this happens mainly in May), they can be transferred to open ground.
The first shoots after sowing in the garden will appear in a few weeks. If the plants have grown too densely, they should be straightened, leaving a distance of at least 25 centimeters between them.
Young plants should be looked after carefully, not forgetting to fertilize, water and weed the bed, then after a while they will be able to turn into decorative perennials that will decorate the garden plot, giving it color and originality.
Diseases and pests
Since the culture is quite hardy, it rarely gets sick and is affected by pests. However, there is still a risk appearance of gray rot when the soil is waterlogged or the summer season is too rainy. When this fungal disease appears, the plants should be treated with the drug “Fitosporin” according to the instructions on the package.
Young plants are also at risk slugs . To kill pests, you need to sprinkle the trillium bed with metaldehyde.
Conclusion
Based on what was described above, we can conclude that it is not very easy to grow a crop on your own plot, but if you can do this, then an exotic guest from distant America will become a real decoration of your garden and will delight you with its beauty and elegance for many years.
If you have to choose plants for a shady garden, pay attention to trillium; planting and caring for an impressive exotic is worth the effort. This unusual representative of the lily family is especially beautiful during the flowering period, but remains decorative throughout the season, since it has very showy leaves.
Trillium usually blooms in spring or early summer. A single flower with snow-white petals, less often scarlet or other shades, appears on a thick short stem. With regular watering, the green part will remain until the end of summer; in August, a fruit resembling a faceted berry is formed. The perennial is quite capricious, it takes a long time to grow, but then the chic curtains will decorate the garden for more than 20 years.
Types of trillium
There are about 30 species in the genus of this ancient forest plant. One of the most unpretentious inhabitants of the garden can be Kamchatka trillium (rhomboleaf). Reaches 40 centimeters in height, blooms in May with white inflorescences with pointed petals. Small's trillium is also resistant. Its flowers are scarlet, but very small, so, unfortunately, it will not surprise you with its bright appearance; it is less common in gardens.
Trillium drooping is a North American beauty. Very remarkable in terms of decorativeness, the inflorescence with stamens “looks” down, and the white or slightly pinkish petals are curved upward. Blooms in May-June.
Americans nicknamed the erect trillium “stinky.” It does have a somewhat pungent smell, but only if you bring the purple flower with three petals right up to your nose. The view is very attractive; there are relatively young hybrids with pale yellow petals. It blooms in early May and produces seeds well.
It is impossible to ignore the large-flowered species; it has long been known and loved by gardeners. Large white inflorescences with corrugated petals gradually acquire a soft pink hue. There are spectacular varieties, for example, roseum with pink flowers and the double hybrid polymerum. By the way, sometimes the color of trilliums can change depending on the type and mineral content of the soil.
The leaves of the Kurboyashi variety are decorated with darkish spots. It blooms burgundy, prefers soils generously fertilized with humus, but does not tolerate cold well and must be covered for the winter. A yellow variety with bright lemon flowers and large spotted leaves is quite common in gardening. Trillium oval also belongs to the popular category; dark burgundy flowers appear late, but exude a subtle, pleasant aroma.
Growing
Planting and caring for trillium is not an easy task. Attractive exotics, unfortunately, are not so often found in gardens due to difficulties with reproduction. It is important to immediately allocate a suitable place for the plantings, certainly under the trees. In other conditions, the plant may simply not survive; sunlight burns the delicate leaves, but in partial shade they feel excellent. The soil will need to be fertile, but there should be no stagnation of water. You can fertilize the ground with rotted leaves of oak, maple, and linden.
You can grow trillium from seeds. There are a lot of them, but they lose their germination very quickly, so you shouldn’t hesitate with sowing. It will take a long time to wait for germination; shoots will appear only in the second year, and flowering will not occur until the third year of life.
Stratification will help speed up the process. In August, the seeds are placed in containers with a mixture of sphagnum and peat, covered with film and left at a temperature of +5 C for two to three months (can be in the refrigerator). Then they are kept at room temperature in a dark place for another three months and again in the refrigerator for the same amount of time. Then by May the seeds will germinate, they can be sown in containers and transferred to open ground. Shoots will appear much faster, in about 14 days. Young plants should be planted to a depth of about 10 centimeters, leaving at least 20 centimeters between bushes.
The process of propagation by seeds is quite labor-intensive; it is easier to use the vegetative method. At the end of August or beginning of September, the bush is divided to obtain parts of a thick rhizome with apical buds. The cuttings are immediately planted in a permanent plot. They will grow slowly, but in the future they will form gorgeous clumps.
In terms of care, trillium will need regular moderate watering; fertilizing with mineral fertilizers will not hurt. The perennial does not need replanting; it grows well in one place. It can withstand cold weather, but in snowless winters it is advisable to cover it with leaves, bark, or loose mulch.
How to grow blackberries Planting and care Planting blackberries in a small garden is not recommended. It, like raspberries, grows very quickly and can fill the garden and vegetable garden in undesirable places. Therefore, before planting blackberry seedlings, accurately determine the maximum distance that you can allow for its growth so that it does not creep into other plantings and destroy them. Along the perimeter of the area allocated to it, dig old slate or thick polyethylene to a depth of a meter. This will prevent the roots from creeping into the neighboring area. Blackberries, like raspberries, can bring joy or ruin the garden. They do the same with horseradish. I gave it a small corner and for many years now it has been growing there, rather than spoiling the neighboring beds. This is important, since getting rid of these plants in an undesirable area is often very problematic. By providing the plants with proper care, as well as selecting varieties according to ripening time, you can have tasty and healthy berries from the end of July to the end of September. It is convenient to give space to blackberries along the fence or create trellises along the bushes. Blackberry shoots need to be tied up 1. CONSIDER THE FEATURES OF VARIETIES OF DIFFERENT GROUPS Currently, more than 300 modern varieties of blackberries are known, often being very complex interspecific hybrids. All varieties are divided into large groups. CUMANIKA, OR STRAIGHT-GROWING BLACKBERRY, is very close in biological characteristics to raspberries. It often has powerful, strongly spiny shoots, 3-4 m high, often with arched tops; the average berry weight is 2.5-4 g, characterized by high winter and frost resistance. It produces a sufficient number of root suckers, with which it reproduces. CREATING BLACKBERRY or DEWEBERRY has long, creeping shoots, abundantly covered with powerful thorns, which greatly complicates its cultivation. At the same time, it is more productive: the berries are very large, with an average weight of 6-12 g. It does not produce root cuttings and reproduces by the tips of replacement shoots. SEMI-CREATING BLACKBERRY has long creeping shoots, without thorns, its berries are quite large, weighing 4-6 g. It produces a small number of root suckers, but reproduces more often by the tips of replacement shoots. A number of varieties are RASPBERRY-BLACKBERRY HYBRIDS that arose as a result of crossing these plants with each other. All these varieties are characterized by a creeping bush shape and thorny shoots, although there are also thornless clones. In terms of agricultural technology, they are very similar to DEWEBERRY. Varieties of the last two groups (DREWBERRY, Semi-creeping BLACKBERRY), as well as RASPBERRY-BLACKBERRY HYBRIDS, are characterized by low winter hardiness; in the northern regions they need to be covered for the winter. To do this, in October, before the onset of autumn frosts, the stems are removed from the trellis, all fruit-bearing shoots and unripe tops of young stems are removed and burned. Then they are laid on the ground or tied in bunches and bent to the ground using hooks, then covered with straw, plant debris or earth. 2. PLACE THE SHRUBS CORRECTLY. CHOOSE A SITE With good care, blackberries can grow and bear fruit in one place for up to 12-15 years. It is considered a very undemanding berry crop. Like raspberries, it prefers well-protected from the wind and well-lit areas, although it can tolerate slight shading, but in low light the berries ripen 5-7 days later. Due to their deep root system, blackberries are more drought-resistant than raspberries. It can grow in a variety of soil types, but produces the highest yields in soils with a high humus content. Vegetable crops (with the exception of nightshades) and areas where currants and gooseberries grew are preferred as predecessors. WHEN AND HOW BEST TO PLANT In the central region of Russia, blackberries can be planted both in spring and summer. However, early spring planting time is preferable, allowing to avoid possible freezing of plants in winter. Usually, blackberries are placed in one row along the border of the site, retreating 1.5 m from the fence; the distances between plants depend on the adopted formation system, which will be discussed below. 2-3 weeks before planting in a planting hole (the size 40x40x40 cm) add 5-6 kg of rotted manure or compost, 100-150 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium sulfate, 200-300 g of ash, and if the soil is acidic, then lime must be added. The applied fertilizers are mixed with the fertile layer of soil so so that the hole is filled to 2/3 of the volume, water and leave until planting so that the hole settles. When planting, the seedlings are covered with the remaining fertile soil without fertilizers and make sure that the conditional root collar (the place where the above-ground part transitions to the root part) is 2-3 cm deeper than the soil level, and the root buds were not on the surface. Then the plants are watered at the rate of 4-5 liters of water per bush and mulched with peat, compost or sawdust in a 5 cm layer. The stems of the seedlings are cut at a height of 20-30 cm from the soil surface. 3. APPLY FERTILIZER REGULARLY The annual death of at least half of the above-ground part of the blackberry leads to a significant removal of nutrients from the soil, so it is important to systematically apply fertilizers to this crop. With good pre-planting soil filling, for the first 2-3 years only nitrogen fertilizers are applied at the rate of 10-15 g of urea or 20-25 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 bush. Then, every year in the spring, 50-60 g of ammonium nitrate is applied to 1 fruit-bearing blackberry bush and, after loosening, mulching materials are scattered in a layer of 4-5 cm; in the fall, 90-100 g of superphosphate and 25-30 g of potassium sulfate are added on top of the mulch, 6-8 kg of humus or compost are added, the soil is dug up with a garden fork to a depth of 6-10 cm. It should be remembered that mineral fertilizers are applied only after watering the plants. 4. USE SUPPORTS OR TRELLIES FOR THE BUSHES. Most varieties of blackberries require a support or trellis when cultivated. Suitable supports are pipes, wooden or reinforced concrete columns with a cross-section of 8-12 cm, a height of 2-2.5 m, which are dug into the ground or concreted at a distance of 5-15 m from each other, depending on the expected number of plants planted on the site. A wire with a cross-section of 3-4 mm is pulled at a height of 50, 100 and 150 cm. There are many ways to place blackberries on trellises, let’s look at the most common ones. FAN FORMATION The simplest method is fan formation, in which shoots - fruiting and growing - are placed separately. The distance between plants is maintained at 2-3.5 m. Used for CUMANIKA and low-growing varieties of Semi-creeping blackberry. Moreover, in the first season after planting, the emerging young shoots are tied to the trellis obliquely in only one direction. Next year they will bear fruit, and the new shoots that appear, as they grow, are tied up and directed in the other direction. In the fall, old fruit-bearing shoots are cut off, and everything is repeated all over again. FORMATION BY WEAVING METHOD For DEWEBERRY and Semi-creeping BLACKBERRY with long stems, formation by the weaving method is more suitable. The distance between plants is 2.5-3.5 m. In spring, blackberry stems left for fruiting are evenly distributed in only one or two opposite directions. They are brought to the top wire and wrapped around it 1-2 times, then lowered to the middle, and then raised again to the top, then again to the middle, etc. Young shoots of the 1st year of life are tied to the bottom wire. In the fall, after harvesting, old shoots from the upper trellises are cut out at the surface of the soil, and young shoots are covered for the winter; next year they will form a new bush. VERTICAL FORMATION For more intensive use of land area when cultivating DEWEBERRY, vertical formation of fruiting stems is used. In this case, the distance between plants in a row is maintained at 1.5 m, which allows doubling the number of plants per unit area. In each bush, 6-8 fruiting stems are left, which are placed in a fan-shape on a trellis, almost vertically and quite close to one another. In early spring, the stems are cut at a height of 1.5-1.7 m. New shoots of the current year that appear are also temporarily placed on a trellis on both sides of the fruiting stems. Next proceed in the same way as with the previous method. FORMATION BY THE BUSH METHOD Kumanika can be formed by the bush method, in which the distance between plants is 1.5-2 m, and a wooden peg 2 m high is driven in next to the bush as a support. In the spring, the stems bent for the winter are raised, 4-6 strong shoots are selected from them replacement and root shoots within a radius of 30 cm from the bush. Selected shoots are tied to a support at a height of 50 and 150 cm, and the stems are tied in a figure eight, because otherwise, strong gusts of wind may cause the stems to break. The top of the stem left for fruiting can rise above the garter site by no more than 30 cm, otherwise it will also break under the weight of the harvest. 5. CARRY OUT FORMATIVE PRUNING In the spring, the blackberry bushes must be opened before the buds are very swollen and formative pruning must be carried out. First of all, shoots infected with diseases and pests, frozen, broken and underdeveloped shoots are removed. Then the dried tops are cut off, and shoots that are too long are shortened according to the accepted shaping system. Then the shoots are tied to the trellis. For CUMANIKA, double pruning of the stems is mandatory. In the first year of a shoot's life, a very important measure to increase the next year's harvest is to remove the tops of the shoots when the stems reach a height of 1 - 1.2 m; the first pruning of the tops is carried out by 10-15 cm, which helps awaken the lateral buds , the formation of side shoots and an increase in the fruiting zone. Next year in the spring, after the buds open, a second pruning is performed, in which the tops of the lateral growths are shortened by 40-50 cm, which makes the bush compact. In most varieties of DEWEBERRY and SEMI-CREATING BLACKBERRY, 2-year-old shoots can reach a length of 3-3.5 m, and the main fruiting zone of berries is formed in the middle part of the stem. Therefore, for the convenience of culture and increasing the fruiting zone, fruit-bearing shoots can be formed in two ways. In the first case, young shoots are pinched three times in the first year of life: the first time when they reach a length of 18 cm, the second time when side shoots up to 35 cm in length appear on them, and the third time when they grow on the pinched ones for the second time. branching up to 35 cm. Thus, highly branched bushes are obtained. In the second case, when premature side shoots 30-40 cm long appear on one-year-old young shoots, they are shortened in the fall, leaving 4-5 buds, and cut off again in the spring, leaving 2-3 buds. The apical ends of the stems can be simply cut off without the risk of significantly reducing the yield.
My encounter with trillium took place several years ago on the plot of a rather middle-aged and experienced gardener. If we remember that in those years, almost 30 years ago, in the gardens one could see traditional daisies, dahlias, rather uninteresting peonies, sometimes delphiniums, phlox growing in rows in the beds, then the miracle I saw, called trillium, was unforgettable. A whorl of leaves consisting of three lobes, on a low stem, a trilobed flower. But what kind of flower was it - huge, pure white! It simply fascinated me, I dreamed about it at night, I was ready to do anything just to get this flower. Later, I became aware of many types and varieties of trillium with white, red, yellow, and green flowers. But the first one still stands before my eyes.
Among many forest flowers, trilliums stand out for their mystery, originality, and harmony of form. After all, they have only three - three leaves, three petals, three sepals, a three-locular ovary. Hence the unusual name TRILLIUM from the Latin word “tria” - “three”.
Trilliums have been known in culture since the 16th century, but despite all their attractiveness, they are still rarely found in our gardens. Probably the reason for this was the difficulty of their reproduction. Although a lot of viable seeds are usually formed, the embryo in them is underdeveloped. All trilliums take at least two to three years before the embryo fully develops and seeds germinate. This feature is characteristic of many ancient forest plants, which include trillium.
Previously, trilliums belonged to the lily family, but now a separate family has been identified - trilliumaceae. The genus includes about 30 species that grow in moist, rich deciduous forests of East Asia and North America. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a vertical tuberous rhizome and masses of taproots. The straight stem is usually 20-40 cm high.
Trilliums are stenotopes, i.e. plants growing in strictly defined environmental conditions. They need moist forest soils under the canopy of broad-leaved species such as linden, maple, chestnut, ash, oak, etc. A layer of forest litter is required. Here, in early spring, when the leaves on the trees have not yet blossomed, and the forest is diffused, humid and cool, trilliums bloom. Together with anemone, corydalis, kandyk and other early spring forest plants, they create a bright, colorful, but short-lived carpet. But unlike most forest ephemeroids (that is, those that grow only in the spring), trilliums retain their leaves until the end of summer, when their seeds ripen in August-September.
An important indicator that allows you to distinguish different types of trilliums is the position of the flower. In some species there is no peduncle, the flowers seem to sit on the leaves; in others, the flower is located on a straight peduncle and faces upward, and in some, the peduncles are drooping and the flowers face the ground. The main species of trillium that perform well in our gardens come from the dark, moist broadleaf forests of eastern North America.
Trillium wavy Stem height 20-40 cm, leaves thin, oval, 5-10 cm long; sepals shorter than petals. The petals are white, with veins and a purple base, oval, with a wavy edge. The flower, up to 4 cm in diameter, looks up, on a straight peduncle. It blooms late, in late May-early June, the seeds ripen in September.
Trillium grandiflora This is perhaps the most beautiful trillium, because... its flower is large, up to 8 cm in diameter, the petals are white, with a wavy edge on a straight peduncle and directed upward. The perianth is pinkish or pink. The leaves are rhombic, 8-12 cm long. It blooms in mid-late May, seeds are formed by September, and can self-sow.
The double form of this flower looks very unusual. Slightly wavy petals are arranged in several rows, creating the image of a delicate wavy cloud.
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Trillium bent, it is also called turned away (Trillium recurvatum), It is distinguished by spotted elliptical leaves, above which rises a flower with straight, elongated (up to 2-3 cm) petals ending in a claw. The color of the petals is brownish-purple. Blooms at the end of May.
Trillium erecta quite stable in cultivation, therefore it has been known for quite a long time (since 1635. Its natural forms with white, dark red and greenish flowers are very interesting. The stem is erect, the leaves are petiolate, rhombic. Their width and length are the same. The peduncle is short - 2-10 cm The flower looks upward, the petals are oval-lanceolate, 2-4 cm long, equal to the sepals. This species also blooms in May. It produces fruits by September and is capable of self-sowing.
Its variation with white flowers is interesting. It is pure white, and, unlike trillium grandiflora, the petals do not turn pink at the end of flowering. The petals are narrower and pointed in shape.
Trillium bent-stem It is known to collectors only recently, although this species was described back in 1840. The rhizome of this trillium is not located horizontally, like all trilliums, but at an angle. The leaves are sessile, slightly rhombic, with a long peduncle that bends at a 90° angle just below the flower so that it faces almost horizontally. The petals of the flower are slightly bent and are pure white without shades, with a dense texture and noticeable veins. True, this species has many variants and some of the characteristics may not be observed.
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Trillium yellow This species has distinctly spotted leaves and a sessile flower with slightly curled yellow petals and green sepals.
Gleson's Trillium (Trillium gleasoni) about 40 cm high. Leaves are broadly rhombic. A flower on a drooping peduncle with white rounded petals. Sepals are lanceolate.
Trillium sessile It is one of the first to bloom. The leaves are round, petiolate, the flower is brown-purple, with ascending narrow petals, the sepals are spread out, lanceolate in shape. I really love this type of trillium; for some reason, I associate it with a burning torch. It seems to me that the petals look like dark flames going up. Its seeds ripen at the end of August-September, but I have not observed self-sowing.
Trillium snowy It blooms very early, sometimes shoots break through patches of snow that have not yet melted. The plant is low, from 8 to 15 cm. The leaves are wide, elliptical, without petioles. The peduncle is straight, short - 1-3 cm. The flower is white, looks up, the petals are oval, the sepals are shorter than the petals.
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Trillium drooping grows naturally in damp forests. The leaves are rhombic-rounded, on short petioles. The short peduncle is curved and directs the flower downwards. The petals of the flower are white, with long bright anthers protruding from them. This species blooms later than others, sometimes until mid-June.
Trillium green (Trillium viride) 20-50 cm high. Leaves lanceolate, sessile, spotted, flower sessile. It has wide rising sepals, which seem to support also rising brown-purple petals. The flower looks quite exotic. Gives self-seeding.
Trillium ovate in nature it grows in forests in mountain gorges. It is distinguished by its soft green leaves, with clearly defined veins and white, then pinkish flowers.
One of the new trillium species, described in 1984, is Trillium sulcatum (Trillium sulcatum). This plant reaches a height of 50-55 cm, has a large red or burgundy-red flower, located above semi-rounded leaves, on a peduncle up to 10 cm. A white form is also found in nature.
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In our country, trilliums grow in the temperate zones of the Far East. The most famous and unpretentious is Trillium Kamchatka, or rhombic It grows in coniferous and birch forests and meadows. The plant is 15-40 cm tall, it has a thick rhizome, short and oblique. The stem is ribbed, straight. The leaves are sessile, broadly oval-rhombic, pointed. Matte green underneath. The peduncle is erect, 9 cm. The sepals are light green, oblong. The petals of the flower are dazzling white, oval. The yellow stamens and pistil with a dark red stigma look very beautiful against the background of white petals. The ovary is oval, three-winged. Interestingly, the fruits in their raw form are edible, but not tasty. This species blooms for a long time - up to 15 days. The fruits ripen in late August-early September.
All the described species are graceful plants that decorate the garden in spring, provided that they are grown in shaded, moist places with loose, fertile soils. A trillium bush can grow in one place without dividing or replanting for up to 25 years. Trillium is most often propagated by dividing the bush in August.
I think those who have these lovely plants in their garden always admire their unique beauty with pleasure.
Trillium has its name for a reason - 3 leaves on the stem, 3 petals at the opened bud, 3 available sepals and 3 years for the flower to gain the necessary strength for its greatest degree of decorativeness. This graceful perennial is known in many states of America, as well as in Asian countries, where up to 30 species of this plant grow under natural conditions. In Canada, it is considered a rare and valuable plant, and therefore both cutting and digging are prohibited.
Despite the remoteness of places of natural growth, in the central zone of our country there are several species suitable for cultivation, and trillium is a frequent visitor to Russian summer cottages. The delicate and capricious perennial begins to bloom in mid-April - early May, and is one of the first crops to show its decorative qualities. Flowering lasts from 5 to 10 days. The flowers vary according to the species to which they belong - from modest white trefoils to double ones, playing with iridescent shades.
Trillium is planted either by seed or by dividing an adult bush. A peculiarity of the propagation of this plant is the fact that the maturation of high-quality seed material occurs only from an adult plant that has reached the age of at least three years. The seeds of younger individuals are not viable enough to reproduce new seedlings, just as the cuttings from it are not capable of further establishment as an individual seedling.
It is believed that the most fruitful time for planting trillium, regardless of the method chosen, is autumn. With the onset of September, seeds or layering of the root system are introduced into the previously prepared soil. Such planting must be accompanied by mandatory mulching and shelter in case of a snowless winter to avoid the death of planting material.
The seedling method is burdened by the need for mandatory seed stratification. The seed material is kept in the refrigerator or cellar for at least three months, then transferred to a nutrient substrate, and grown indoors from several months to 1-2 years, before being transferred to a permanent place of growth in open ground.
It is also possible to sow in spring or plant a trillium seedling. Planting is carried out upon the onset of 24-hour above-zero temperatures and when the threat of spring frosts ends.
Popular varieties
In the climatic conditions of Russia, the most common species and varieties grown in the Far East and Kamchatka are:
- Kamchatka is a plant up to 30-35 cm high. Flowering is early, from the beginning of May, accompanied by the release of a subtle aroma. The petals are white, the green mass is of rich emerald shades. Seed material ripens by August. Self-sowing is very fruitful, but flowering begins at three to five years of age. Cold-resistant and drought-resistant.
- Smalla is a variety that is less common than Kamchatka. It is distinguished by a later start of the growing season and has edible fruits. The flowers are smaller than those of its counterparts, but this does not detract from its decorative qualities.
- Chonoski is more famous in Japan and Korea than in our country, however, it successfully grows in the Urals and the middle climate zone. The height reaches 40 cm, the diameter of the flower is up to 3 cm.
- Drooping trillium is a representative of American species successfully grown in Russia. It differs from its fellows by having downward peduncles that are more bell-like.
- Oval - most common among summer residents of the Moscow region. It reaches a height of 70-75 cm, the flower has a diameter of up to 7 cm. During the growing season, the plant exudes an exquisite, pleasant aroma.
Preparing for landing
Trillium, regardless of the type and variety, loves semi-shaded areas with diffused sunlight. Being in an open area with direct sunlight leads to a loss of green enzyme in the foliage and an almost complete absence of flowering. The flower prefers nutritious soil, with moderate acidity and sufficient drainage. If the dacha plot has excessively acidified soil, the soil must be pre-treated with lime, and a certain amount of sand and peat must be added to achieve the required degree of looseness.
The plant also does not like stagnation of excess moisture, so if the place for planting a perennial is periodically flooded, it is necessary to build either an elevated ridge or a special box, rising 15-30 cm above the soil level. If the trillium is part of a decorative composition, the most suitable neighbors will be corydalis and anemones.
Landing
Planting is done in holes located at a distance from each other from 25 to 35 cm, depending on the selected plant variety and its technical characteristics.
The depth of the planting holes ranges from 5 cm - if seeds are planted, or 10 cm when rhizomes are planted. The surface of the holes is covered with humus or peat, especially in cases where the soil of the summer cottage is excessively dense. It is beneficial to add 2-3 g of dry superphosphate into each hole, which promotes rapid rooting of planting material. After planting, abundant watering is carried out with warm, settled water, repeated subsequently as the top layer of fertile soil dries.
Care
Further care of trillium comes down to the minimum requirements - freedom from weeds, periodic moistening and regular loosening of the top soil layer. If rooting is successful, the plant requires feeding infrequently - no more than 2-3 times per season. If there is a threat of frost, the planting site should be protected from danger with available garden materials - film or agrofibre.
Grown trillium seedlings are quite resistant to temperature changes and dry periods, so if the plant shows signs of successful rooting, it does not cause unnecessary trouble for its owner.
Pests and diseases
Despite its rather persistent nature, manifested in resistance to the most common plant diseases, trillium is susceptible to the development of fungal diseases caused by non-compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. So, if there is stagnation of excess moisture, it can develop gray rot, which leads to death. This is due to the lack of necessary drainage, therefore, at the first signs of the disease, the plant is transplanted to a more drainable place.
In dry summers, trillium can be attacked by aphids. Varieties that do not have the property of emitting a spicy odor are especially susceptible to attack by pest populations. If an insect is found on green mass, you should resort to treatment with specialized insecticides.
Preparing for winter
Like many other perennial ornamental herbaceous plants, trillium requires protection from snowless winters, which have a detrimental effect on its further life activity. Therefore, when the first autumn frosts occur, the flower bushes are cut to a height of 10-15 cm and carefully covered with a thick layer of mulch, rotted sawdust, humus or fallen leaves. It is possible to use several layers of garden covering material.
