No, the plural really should be trilliums! However, I thought it might be useful to make a comparison between the varieties I have encountered. Probably the most common in the area that we live is the red trillium (trillium erectum) in my previous post. However, New York State also has large flowered (or white) trillium (trillium grandiflorum) and painted trillium (trillium undulatum).
Here is a picture of some large flowered trilliums. This picture is not from New York, but from North Carolina. The species found in New York is the same the one in the image.
Large Flowered Trillium (trillium grandiflorum)
The other type of trillium that I have seen growing wild in New York is the painted trillium (trillium undulatum). This image was taken in my back yard!
Painted Trillium (trillium undulatum)
It is important to note that ALL varieties that I have shown images for here (large flowered or white trillium, red trillium, and painted trillium) are listed as exploitably vulnerable rare plants on the New York State endangered species list. These plants are not as rare as two other trillium types which I have not yet seen or photographed, the nodding wakerobin (trillium flexipes) and the toadshade (trillium sessile). Even so, it is always a thrill to see these beautiful flowers!
Lastly, I’ll throw in a bonus image of a flower that is not native to New York, one that I actually posted in an earlier post from last Spring. This one is found in the Carolinas and is called Catesby’s Trillium (trillium catesbaei). This one is pretty neat due to the different coloration of the flower petals as well as the bright yellow center. Although similar to the large flowered trillium (which also turns pinkish when it has been flowering for a while), this flower is much smaller, and the flower itself is bent down over the stem, more like the red trillium.
Catesby's Trillium (trillium catesbaei)
Now, when hiking with the dogs, they have a tendency to get bored when confronted with long waiting for their master to take photographs of flowers. This is what my dog looks like while waiting for me to be done. This is Worf, my long nosed German Shepherd, long nose due to distortion of the 12 mm wide angle setting of my 12-24 mm lens from close up.
Worfo at 12mm, close up.
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