Early Spring Wildflower - Red Trillium - Toad Shade

Red Trillium - Toad Shade
One of the oddest looking spring flowers to inhabit the woodland's floor in Indiana is the Trillium, or Toad Shade.
Common Name:
Red Trillium, Toadshade
Botanical Name:
Trillium sessile
Family:
Liliaceae – Lily
Sun:
Shade
Soil:
Rich, moist
Hardiness Zone:
USDA Zone 4 to 8
Propagation:
Seed
Flower Time - Southern Indiana:
April
Plant Height:
Six to twelve inches
Flower Color:
Maroon

Southern Indiana Wildflowers

Trillium is from "Tri", which means three. The leaves and flowers parts are in threes. The species name "sessile" is the Latin word for "Low sitting" and refers to the stalk less flower.
This woodland wildflower is common here in Indiana and resembles another trillium - Purple Trillium. The best way to tell them apart is Purple Trillium’s flower appear above the leaves by a short stalk, while the Red Trillium’s flower is nestled almost directly above the three leaves with no stalk supporting it. The flowers are either a purplish or a maroon color. There is also a yellow-green form of the wildflower.
Red Trillium, or Toad shade, grows from about four inches to twelve inches in height. Here in southeastern Indiana it blooms in mid to late April. The flowers do not smell good; in fact, they have a foul odor that attracts their primary pollinating insects, beetles and flies. After bloom, it forms a bright red berry that contains the seed. Plant the seed in the fall in a cold frame. The seed needs the cold, damp soil of winter for it to germinate in the spring, a process called stratification.
Red trillium grows from an underground rhizome that will spread, creating huge colonies.
You will find Red Trillium in rich woodland, preferring the moist, dark conditions found there. It tends to form colonies, growing near Spring Beauty, Toothwort, Trout Lily and other denizens of the woodland. It is one of the more unusual looking spring wildflowers, and quite pretty as well.