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Herbaceous Perennial

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

Other common names

sessile trillium
wake robin

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Melanthiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: 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

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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