Nodding trillium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nodding trillium |
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| Sault College campus in Ontario | |
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| Genus: |
Trillium
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| Species: |
cernuum
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The Nodding Trillium (scientific name: Trillium cernuum) is a beautiful flowering plant. People also call it the northern nodding trillium or whip-poor-will flower. It belongs to the Melanthiaceae plant family. This plant is special because it grows further north than any other type of Trillium in North America. You can find it all the way up to Hudson Bay in Canada. Its home stretches across Canada, from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland. It also grows south into northern Virginia in the United States. The Nodding Trillium loves to grow in rich, moist soil. You can find it in forests with both broadleaf trees and evergreen trees.
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What the Nodding Trillium Looks Like
The Nodding Trillium is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It is a herbaceous plant, which means it has soft, green stems instead of woody ones. It grows from an underground stem called a rhizome. This rhizome helps the plant store food and spread.
Stems and Leaves
Each Nodding Trillium plant has one or more stems. These stems do not have branches. They can grow to be about 15 to 60 centimeters (6 to 24 inches) tall. At the very top of each stem, there is a group of three leaves. These leaves are pointed at the end. They are usually about 4 to 15 centimeters (1.5 to 6 inches) long. They can also be about 6 to 18 centimeters (2.5 to 7 inches) wide.
Flowers and Fruit
Stronger stems will also have a single flower. This flower hangs down below the leaves. It grows on a short stalk called a peduncle, which is about 0.5 to 3.5 centimeters (0.2 to 1.4 inches) long. The flower is "perfect," meaning it has both male and female parts.
- It has three thin, pale green sepals. These are like small leaves that protect the bud. They are about 9 to 30 millimeters long.
- There are three wide, white petals. Sometimes, they can be a light pink color. These petals are about 15 to 25 millimeters (0.6 to 1 inch) long. They are also about 5 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide.
- Inside the flower, there are six purple stamens. These are the male parts that make pollen.
- There is also one pistil. This is the female part of the flower.
The Nodding Trillium blooms in late spring to early summer. After the flower fades, it grows a fruit. The fruit is a reddish berry with six lobes. It can be up to 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across. This berry ripens in late summer.
Where it Grows Today
The Nodding Trillium is found across a wide area. However, it is no longer found in some places where it used to grow. For example, in Ohio, the Nodding Trillium was collected only once in Lake County in 1879. Scientists now believe it is extirpated from Ohio. This means it has disappeared from that specific area.
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