Trillium Erectum

This rather more diminutive but most handsome trillium bears sizeable maroon flowers with recurving segments and paler anthers. It is superb in a shady organic bed where in time it will spread to make impressive clumps. Native to the deciduous woodlands of eastern North America, Trillium erectum emerges in spring before the tree canopy fully closes, flowering in cool, shaded conditions. The upright, three-petalled flowers are typically deep red to maroon and are known for their slightly musky scent, which attracts pollinating insects in its natural habitat. Plants require partial to full shade and moist, humus-rich soil, mimicking the leaf-littered forest floor where they naturally occur. Trilliums are slow to establish but long lived when settled, making them a rewarding choice for patient gardeners and woodland planting schemes.