The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: sessile trillium, toadshade

Family: Liliaceae (lily family)

Distribution: c. and e.-c United States

IUCN Red list: Least concern

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: Sessile trillium is quite small (rarely growing more than a foot tall), but its flowers pack a punch in a foul fragrance, enough to distinguish it from other trilliums. The flower is made up of three maroon petals that are held upright and usually "closed," or tightly pressed together. At first glance, sessile trillium strongly resembles prairie trillium, however you can tell it apart by the sepals, which are spread wide rather than hanging down. The foliage is occasionally mottled light and dark green. From April to June, the malodorous flowers bloom, attracting beetles and flies as pollinators. This wildflower is often found growing in rich woodlands, in floodplains or along riverbanks.