Trillium rivale

Submitted by Gene Mirro on

First year bloom on Trillium rivale:

Seed sown January 2007, germinated Spring 2008. To keep the voles out, I plunged the pot into the garden soil and mulched. The plants seem to do very well. They eventually grow roots through the drainage holes and into the surrounding soil.

Comments

Submitted by RickR on Fri, 04/08/2011 - 22:10

Very impressive !! 

And that each plant flowers so uniformly is a feat indeed!

Submitted by Hoy on Sat, 04/09/2011 - 00:25

Gene, I have read that it takes many years to get flowers on Trillium so I have not bothered sowing seed. But now you give me hope and I'll look out for fresh Trillium seed to try!

Submitted by Gene Mirro on Sat, 04/09/2011 - 10:39

Hoy, most Trilliums are much slower to bloom than T. rivale.

Submitted by Mark McD on Sat, 04/09/2011 - 12:21

Very nice Gene, and just 4 years from seed to get that potful of blooming plants!

I grow lots of trilliums from seed, but I sow fresh seed directly in the garden as soon as the seed is ripe in late summer. They germinate freely the following spring and one can forget about caring for them, and slowly but surely they get bigger each year.  I believe I get first flowering on T. nivale in about 4 years too, others typically take 5 years or more.

Submitted by Reed on Sat, 04/09/2011 - 23:04

Trillium rivale in now in a seperate genus (Pseudotrillium) with it being the only species within it. The new name is Pseudotrillium rivale. That might be one reason it flowers a faster rate than most Trillium.

Here is my Pseudotrillium rivale (pink flower form) just starting to open up.

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Submitted by Mark McD on Sun, 04/10/2011 - 09:02

James, It's a beautiful Trillium.  I don't afford much credence to the "pseudonym" Pseudotrillium, seems like taxonomists these days must garner some pseudofame with such taxonomic contrivances.  I still await the day when they take a genus like Allium and split it into about 80 or more genera; there are allium species that "break the rules" of the genus all over the place.  In fact, with Allium, the opposite force is in effect, with strong centrifugal action pulling in genera like Nectaroscordum and Caloscordum into the allium vortex.

A couple of good links (note, most web links will still refer to this plant as Trillium rivale).  The CalPhotos gallery shows some beautiful color forms.  Looking at them, if these aren't trillium then I'm a monkey's uncle ;)  The ongoing Flora of North America still publishes Trillium rivale, not Pseudotrillium.
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102009
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2008/05/pseudotrillium_rivale.php
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?where-taxon=Trillium+riv...

Submitted by Reed on Sun, 04/10/2011 - 10:17

I still refer to it as Trillium as well but it is native here and I live real close to Oregon State Uni. where they did the genetics makeup on it. I was just giving a possible reason why it only took  a short time to flower from seed rather than the 7-10 like many trillium (that is all and I am a name Freak  ;D)

Submitted by RickR on Sun, 04/10/2011 - 18:38

James wrote:

Here is my Pseudotrillium rivale (pink flower form) just starting to open up.

They are especially nice with the spots (or rather, flecks) of deep color.

Submitted by Hoy on Mon, 04/11/2011 - 09:09

RickR wrote:

James wrote:

Here is my Pseudotrillium rivale (pink flower form) just starting to open up.

They are especially nice with the spots (or rather, flecks) of deep color.

Seconded ;D

Submitted by Cockcroft on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 12:33

Trillium rivale grows well on the west side of the Cascade Mtns.  It is a very satisfying plant to grow because it sets lots of seed and comes into bloom fairly quickly.  I've planted many bunches out in the garden and also grow them in pots on the north side of my house.  Here are a couple of pictures of potted plants.  Many of these are going in the plant sale for the 2012 WWSW in Everett, WA.

...Claire Cockcroft
in soggy Bellevue, WA
well on the way to 2 inches of rain in less than 24 hours

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Submitted by deesen on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 12:56

You could put me down for a couple of those ;D

Submitted by Lori S. on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 21:18

WOW!!  :o  Lucky attendees of the 2012 WWSW!!

Submitted by AmyO on Mon, 05/16/2011 - 13:59

Cockcroft wrote:

Trillium rivale grows well on the west side of the Cascade Mtns.  It is a very satisfying plant to grow because it sets lots of seed and comes into bloom fairly quickly.  I've planted many bunches out in the garden and also grow them in pots on the north side of my house.  Here are a couple of pictures of potted plants.  Many of these are going in the plant sale for the 2012 WWSW in Everett, WA.

Claire...I am planning on attending that event as I have lots of family out your way! Hope to see you there and bring home a few of those lovely Trillium!

Submitted by Hoy on Mon, 05/16/2011 - 15:14

Cockcroft wrote:

Trillium rivale grows well on the west side of the Cascade Mtns.  It is a very satisfying plant to grow because it sets lots of seed and comes into bloom fairly quickly.  I've planted many bunches out in the garden and also grow them in pots on the north side of my house.  Here are a couple of pictures of potted plants.  Many of these are going in the plant sale for the 2012 WWSW in Everett, WA.

...Claire Cockcroft
in soggy Bellevue, WA
well on the way to 2 inches of rain in less than 24 hours

Wish I could join that sale  :)

Submitted by Mark McD on Mon, 05/16/2011 - 21:47

Gene wrote:

What's a WWSW?

WWSW = NARGS "Western Winter Study Weekend".  Each year NARGS also holds the compliment "Eastern Winter Study Weekend".