Giant trillium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giant trillium
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Melanthiaceae
Genus:	Trillium
Species:	T. chloropetalum
Binomial name
Trillium chloropetalum (Torr.) Howell
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Synonyms
Synonymy Trillium sessile var. chloropetalum Torr. Trillium giganteum var. chloropetalum (Torr.) R.R.Gates Trillium sessile var. giganteum Hook. & Arn., syn of var. giganteum Trillium giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) A.Heller, syn of var. giganteum Trillium sessile subsp. giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) A.E.Murray, syn of var. giganteum Trillium chloropetalum subsp. giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) A.E.Murray, syn of var. giganteum Trillium sessile var. californicum S.Watson, syn of var. giganteum Trillium sessile f. californicum (S.Watson) Farrer, syn of var. giganteum

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Trillium chloropetalum, also known as giant trillium or giant wakerobin, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the family called Melanthiaceae. You can find this plant growing in the coast ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills of California. It grows from Siskiyou County all the way down to Santa Barbara and Madera Counties.

Plant Varieties

As of February 2021, there are two main types, or varieties, of Trillium chloropetalum. These are recognized by Kew's Plants of the World Online (POWO).

• Trillium chloropetalum var. chloropetalum
• Trillium chloropetalum var. giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) Munz

The petals of T. chloropetalum var. chloropetalum always have yellow colors. Sometimes, other colors like purple hide the yellow. On the other hand, the petals of T. chloropetalum var. giganteum do not have yellow colors. Because their differences are small, scientists might decide to combine these varieties in the future.

What It Looks Like

Trillium chloropetalum is a perennial herbaceous plant. This means it lives for more than two years and has soft stems, not woody ones. It blooms in the spring, usually from late February to early or mid-April.

The color of its petals can be very different. They can be dark red, purple, or even white. Like other Trillium plants, its leaves and flowers grow in groups of three. This plant grows in clumps and likes to live in shady places, like woodlands.

Special Recognition

The variety Trillium chloropetalum var. giganteum has deep maroon (dark reddish-purple) flower petals. Because it is such a beautiful plant, it received the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1993. This award comes from the Royal Horticultural Society, which is a big gardening group.

Images for kids

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  Trillium chloropetalum variety chloropetalum with yellowish-green petals observed on March 17 in Marin County, California

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  Trillium chloropetalum variety giganteum with white petals observed on March 6 in San Mateo County, California

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