Overview
Trillium sessile, called toadshade or sessile trillium, is a spring woodland perennial in the Melanthiaceae growing 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) tall from a thick underground rhizome. A single stem carries a whorl of three broad, oval leaves 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long, mottled in shades of green, silver, and maroon. The flower sits directly on the leaves without a stalk, standing upright with three narrow, erect petals 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) long in dark maroon to red-brown, rarely greenish. The petals never open wide, staying held close together over three green sepals. The scent is faint and somewhat musty, drawing beetles and flies rather than bees. After flowering in spring the plant sets a fleshy capsule whose seeds carry oily appendages that ants collect and disperse. By early summer the top growth dies back to the rhizome. It grows in rich, moist, deciduous woods and floodplains, often over limestone, and is slow to establish, taking several years to flower from seed.
Native Range
Native to the eastern and central United States, from the Great Lakes region and Pennsylvania south to the southern Appalachians and west to Missouri and Arkansas. It grows in rich, moist deciduous woodland, on wooded slopes, and floodplains, often on limestone or other base-rich soils.Suggested Uses
Used in shade and woodland gardens, native spring borders, and naturalised colonies under deciduous trees, spaced 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) apart. It suits rich, moist, shaded ground alongside other spring ephemerals. The summer dormancy and slow growth make it poorly suited to containers, sunny beds, or frequently disturbed soil.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'
Width/Spread8" - 1'
Reaches mature size in approximately 6 years
Bloom Information
Flowers open in early to mid spring, mainly March through May depending on latitude. Each plant carries one long-lasting flower that persists for two to three weeks. The bloom appears with the mottled leaves before the woodland canopy fills in.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
dark maroon to red-brownFoliage Description
green mottled with silver and maroonGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight