Trillium sessile
toadshade
A perennial to 30cm, producing whorls of broad, stalkless, deep green leaves marked with pale, silvery green and bronze-maroon. Stalkless, upright, red-maroon flowers appear in the centre of the leaves in late spring
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Red | Bronze Green Grey Silver | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Bronze Green Grey Silver | |||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Position
- Full shade
- Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Melanthiaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Genus
Trillium are rhizomatous, herbaceous perennials with erect stems bearing a whorl of ovate or diamond-shaped leaves, with one or more erect or nodding flowers borne at the stem apex
- Name status
Correct
- Plant range
- E & N USA
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in deep, moist but well-drained, humus-rich, preferably acid to neutral soil in deep or partial shade. Mulch in autumn with leaf mould. See trillium cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by seed in pots in a shady cold frame as soon as seed is ripe; takes 5-7 years to reach flowering size. Propagate rhizomes by division after flowering or cut out the growing point from the rhizome after flowering, which stimulates the formation of offsets
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Low Maintenance
- Flower borders and beds
- Underplanting of roses and shrubs
- Banks and slopes
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
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