April 15, 2025

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) in bloom up the mountain right now, sometimes in large swaths.

These flowers spread into large areas thanks to mymecochory, a process I’ve mentioned before. It is the process in which ants are attracted to the seeds of certain plants. Seeds that have elaiosomes, or fatty structures, which the ants feed to their larvae. White Trillium also spreads with the assistance of rhizomes.

Though it is said that the white petals of these flowers will turn pink with age, I don’t often see old flowers that have turned pink, but that does seem to happen. But I also see just every now and then, pink buds or pink young flowers. These are a pink form of White Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum.

It is thought that this form occurs because of an infection caused by a microorganism in the plant. These pink forms are found mixed in just occasionally with the normal white flowers.

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