The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: large-flower trillium, white wakerobin, white trillium

Family: Liliaceae (lily family)

Distribution: e. North America

IUCN Red list: Least concern

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: A graceful perennial that is one of the most beloved of the native Ohio woodland wildflowers and much admired by visitors to Dawes in April and May. Grows 12-16" tall x 12" wide. An unbranched, naked stem is topped by three, evenly spaced, dark green, hosta-like leaves that are often mottled with white. The flower features three erect, white petals and three narrow, greenish sepals and appears perched atop the center of the three-leaf whorl. A clump-forming plant with stems arising from thick, underground rhizomes which will spread slowly if left undisturbed. Foliage will usually die to the ground by mid-summer, particularly if the soil is allowed to dry out.