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Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Common
Name

Scientific
Name

Plant
Family

Garden
Location

Prime
Season
Snow Trillium
Trillium nivale Riddell
Lily (Liliaceae)
Woodland
Early Spring
Other names and notes

(Dwarf White Trillium) One of the earliest blooming flowers in the Garden, sometimes, as the name implies, prior to full snow melt. The stem is an above ground portion (a flowering scape) of the underground rhizome. It rises rarely more than 4" high. Leaves: In the true trilliums the leaf like parts are actually bracts just below the flower base. They are of course much larger than the normal bract that you see, but they are equipped to fulfill the function of a leaf. The bracts of Snow Trillium have rounded obtuse tips with the blades of a bluish-green color. These have a distinct stalk, are three in number like all trilliums and form a whorl atop the stem. Flower: The three part flower is up to one inch wide with the white petals, which are elliptical, entire to wavy on the margins, with the tips obtuse, not pointed, and they spread outward at the tips initially and fully spread outward toward maturity. The petals are longer than the sepals, which are lanceolate in shape with a more pointed tip. They too are bluish-green and frequently with purplish undertones. The petals form a tube shape at their bases. As the flower matures, the greenish-purplish sepals reflex back from the petals and stand out clearly between the white petals. Anthers are slender, straight and pale yellow in color. The styles have spreading tips. The flower is solitary on a tall stalk (pedicels) above the whorl of 3 bracts. The flower stem slightly droops and the total height of the plant rarely exceeds 6 inches. After pollination, the flower stalk droops beneath the bracts. Fruit: The flower matures to a greenish-white 3-angled capsule containing the seeds. The capsule is pulpy but not juicy and without aroma.

Habitat: The plant grows from rhizomes and will spread into a nice clump overtime if left undisturbed. Like most Trilliums it will grow best in well drained soil in light full shade or dappled sun under the tree canopy. The plant dies back to dormancy by late spring as soon as seed is set. It grows best if not in competition with other plants.
Snow Trillium
 Snow Trillium
Above left: The glossy leaves below the flower belong to Common Periwinkle (Running Myrtle) (Vinca minor), among which grows this Snow Trillium, protected from drying temperatures by the green ground cover of the Myrtle. Above right: A group of plants showing the reflexed greenish-purplish sepals of mature flowers.
Snow Trillium close-up
Below: The three leaf-like structures on the above ground stem of Trilliums are called bracts and are not true leaves. Below: The 3 greenish-purplish sepals are shorter than the petals, narrow, and reflex from the petals. Below: Anthers are slender, straight and pale yellow in color. The styles have spreading tips.
Snow Trillium bracts Snow trillium sepals Snow Trillium anthers
     
 
Below - Two historical photos. Left: A clump of blooming Snow Trillium on April 19, 1952. Right: A rare 4-petal Snow Trillium on April 22, 1957. Both photos from Kodachromes taken in the Garden by Martha Crone. Photos courtesy Minnesota Historical Society, Martha Crone Collection.
Snow Trillium clump 1952 4-petal Snow Trillium
 

Notes: Eloise Butler's records show that she first planted this species, from plants obtained from Kelsey's Nurseries in North Carolina, on May 9, 1910 and again on Oct. 6, 1913 with plants from Gillett's in MA. Additional plantings occurred on May 16, 1924 from Denison, Iowa and on April 22, 1928 from Decorah, Iowa. The second Garden Curator, Martha Crone, reported that in 1935 the Snow Trillium bloomed for one month. She planted 40 additional plants in 1934. Native to Minnesota in the SE parts but under environmental pressure as it is listed on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources "Special Concern" list. Per the DNR "A species is considered a species of special concern if, although the species is not endangered or threatened, it is extremely uncommon in Minnesota, or has unique or highly specific habitat requirements and deserves careful monitoring of its status." In Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky and Maryland the plant is on the "Threatened" list, a more critical rating than "Special Concern." Its range in North America is very restricted - On the western edge from Minnesota to Missouri, touching on the eastern borders of South Dakota and Nebraska, and east to Pennsylvania (where it is now considered "rare") and south to Kentucky and Virginia.

Bloom dates: Both Gardeners Ken Avery and Cary George kept records of these early bloomers. Ken’s list noted that his earliest date was March 27, 1973 and the latest April 22, 1965. In Cary’s time it bloomed one day earlier on March 26, 1987, but the record still goes back to Martha Crone’s day when she noted it in bloom on March 22, 1945. Eloise Butler’s earliest date noted in her log was March 30, 1919.

Lore: Like many of the Trillium species, T. nivale has medicinal qualities. Roots contain volatile and fixed oils, tannic acid, saponin (a glucoside), and acrid crystalline, starch and other constituents. The dried root and rhizome can be boiled in milk for a useful drink for diarrhea and dysentery. Dried powdered root is used to make a fluid extract.

Eloise Butler wrote: Trilliums are closely related to the lilies. All have a thick underground stem, bearing a single aerial stem, which supports a whorl of three large leaves varying somewhat in size and shape in different species. Above the leaf whorl arises the lovely flower, with or without a stalk; erect or drooping; white, red, purple or pink striped, according to the species. The flower is also on the plan of three green sepals, three colored petals, six stamens in two rows and one pistil made up of three united carpels. The name trillium probably comes from the three leaves. The plant has a number of local names - wake robin, bath flower and “way down east.” Published May 21, 1911, Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. Read article.

Former Garden Curator Martha Crone wrote:"After a long northern winter, what a welcome sight to find the brave little Snow Trilliums pushing thru the heavy blanket of leaves. They seem to defy the chilly nights and frosty weather." Published in The Fringed Gentian™ April 1958, Vol. 6 #2. Martha earlier reported on April 15th 1935: "The day was bitter cold, 16 degrees, and now there was 3/4” of ice on the pond. The snow trilliums didn’t mind and were still in bloom". In April 1959 - "With the Spring's first sunbeam, it blooms briefly, ripens it's seeds and disappears for the rest of the season."

 
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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 32, W2, W3, W7 & W8 plus others as specifically applies. Distribution principally from Wi, W2 and 28C. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.  
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