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Melanthiaceae FAMILY

Trillium pendulum

Trillium pendulum

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

This species does not appear in the Flora of North America[1], and as such the name should be considered to be very dubious[PFAF]. Prefers a deep well-drained woodland or humus-rich soil in a somewhat shady position that remains moist in the summer[2, 3]. Prefers a neutral to slightly acid soil[4]. Grows well in open woodland[2]. Succeeds in deep shade[5]. Succeeds in a sunny position if the soil does not dry out[3]. Any transplanting is best done whilst the plants are in flower[4]. Plants can flower in two years from seed[6]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[7], though slugs are very fond of the leaves[8].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a shaded cold frame as soon as it is ripe[9, 4]. Stored seed should be sown in late winter or early spring. Seed usually germinates within 1 - 3 months at 15°c. Another report says that seeds produce a root after the first cold stratification but no shoot is produced until after a second winter[6], whilst yet another report says that the seed can take 3 years to germinate[8]. The seedlings are prone to damp off and must therefore be watered with care and given plenty of fresh air[6]. The young plants need to be overwintered in a cold frame for the first year and can then be planted out in late spring. It is very important that the pots become neither too dry nor too wet[6]. Division with care when the plants die down after flowering[4]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the following spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Trillium+pendulum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Hardy Bulbs.; Including Half-hardy Bulbs and Tuberous and Fiberous-rooted Plants — Grey. C. H. · Williams & Norgate. · 1938 · ISBN - ↩︎Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  6. [6]Growing from Seed. Volume 3. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1989 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  7. [7]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  8. [8]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  9. [9]Growing from Seed. Volume 2. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
  10. [10]The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. — Mills. S. Y. ↩︎An excellent small herbal.
  11. [11]A Modern Herbal. — Grieve. · Penguin · 1984 · ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 ↩︎Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
  12. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎