Red Trillium - Trillium erectum

Red Trillium is a highly fragrant woody perennial plant with three maroon or deep scarlet petals typically found in eastern North America. Its appearance adds a splash of color to forest floors in the spring. This captivating perennial plant is native to North America and offers many benefits when incorporated into landscaping designs.

It is a short, flowering plant that is an attractive addition to any landscape. It features broad clusters of leaves, small flowers, and several narrow stalks that fan out from a central root system. It can get up to a foot tall and 18 inches wide. This petite plant is a charming flower to feature in flower beds or decorative borders. The appealing texture of its leaves creates a pleasant backdrop for other small flowers, or landscapers can use thick clusters of this plant to fill in space between larger shrubs.

The Gorgeous Leaves of Red Trillium 

Each leaf can reach around six inches in width. They have a teardrop shape, broad, rounded base, and delicately pointed tip. Leaves are usually a medium kelly green with hints of olive or yellow. Pronounced veins run along the entire leaf, giving your garden plenty of texture. This plant's attractive leaves grow in groups of three. Each upright stalk has three leaves that stretch out horizontally from the center.

Red Trillium Has a Long Blooming Season

It has gorgeous flowers that appear each spring. The dark, burgundy flowers have three long, teardrop-shaped petals surrounding a cluster of white stamens in the center. Each flower is backed by three decorative bracts that peek out between each petal. These specialized leaves are typically olive green with a thin line of burgundy around their edge. Usually, one flower appears on each plant stalk, so the typical cluster of leaves can have around three to eight flowers.

Bloom Time

The flowers of it start appearing in March and can last until June so that gardeners can enjoy the lovely blossoms for months. Once the flowers fall off the plant, trim, reddish fruit begins to grow in their place. These glossy orbs continue to add visual interest to the plant throughout the summer. As temperatures drop, leaves turn a pleasant yellow shade. They then go dormant over winter before sending out fresh, green shoots again in the early spring.

 It can be distinguished from the other trilliums by the petals of its flower, which are red to purplish in color. This plant has three large acute-lobed leaves, and the flowers bloom in early spring.

It is usually propagated by division of rhizomes or by seeds. Seeds should be gathered in the fall and planted directly into the ground, while rhizomes must be separated in early spring providing each segment a growth bud.

 Red trilliums are long-lived perennial plants that can live for many decades if well cared for. They are slow-growing plants that can take three to several years to bloom but will live and flower for several years once established.

This Is How Your Plants Will Look upon Delivery

Bloom Season

Spring

Bloom/Foliage Color

Red

Height at Maturity

Under 12"

Care

Red Trillium thrives in well-drained, rich, and moist soil. Keep the soil always damp but not soggy. Mulch the plants to maintain water and suppress weeds. Avoid disturbing the roots and allow them to naturalize in their environment.

Plant Reproduction

Red Trillium spreads by clumping, self-sowing, and slowly from its rhizomatous roots.

Planting bare-root perennials is best in any season if they are dormant; we only sell dormant plants. Planting them year-round is also excellent if you can get dormant perennials. When your bare-root perennials arrive, soak the roots in water for a few hours to rehydrate them. Lant by digging a hole wide enough to spread the roots comfortably and deep enough to place the top portion crown (where the roots meet the stem) at or slightly above ground level. Position the plant in the hole, backfill with native soil, and gently firm the soil around the roots—water well after planting to settle the soil around the plant and eliminate air. Apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch to keep weeds at bay and moisture locked in, keeping the mulch away from the crown. Irrigate plants regularly during the first few weeks of drought; never water in full sun, and water late in the evenings to ensure the roots are established well. Fertilize sparingly in the first year, using a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in subsequent years as needed. 

Shipping date depends on the date displayed and chosen when you order from the product's page.

We only accept returns on plants verified dead. If you think your plants have died, we offer a 1 year warranty, please use use this File a Claim Link to verify dead plants and start with return warranty process.