Species spotlight: Red trillium
Looks like: Red trillium can reach heights of 8-16 inches with a single, 2-2.5 inch-wide nodding, maroon to reddish brown flower at the top of the plant. Its leaves are found in a single whorl of three.
Lives in: Rich, moist, well-drained soils. Red trillium prefers shaded woodland ecosystems.
Niche: Red trillium flowers attract a number of pollinators — ants, yellow jackets and other insects. Small animals, such as chipmunks, feed on its seeds.
Threats: Plants need to reach an age of 15 years before they can bloom. Red trillium can live up to 30 years. Flower removal by animals or humans can place serious stress on and impact survival rates for this plant. Picking the flowers may render the plant unable to flower for future years or even cause the plant’s death.
Frequency: Red trillium is a common spring plant for the Shawangunk Ridge. Visitors to Mohonk Preserve are able to see this plant growing along the trails, carriages roads and paths during the mid-spring season.
Reproduction: This plant emerges in early April and produces flowers by mid-spring. Once the three-petal red flower blooms and is pollinated, a fleshy capsule fruit will ripen from green to red or purple. The fruit will drop from the plant, where animals can consume and transport it for dispersal for future growth.
Fun fact: Red trillium is also known as “Stinking Benjamin.” If you get close and take a sniff, the flower has an unpleasant odor. Also, its root was traditionally used as an aid in childbirth. Native Americans would make a tea with it to assist with labor.
Christy Belardo is Citizen Science Education Coordinator for Mohonk Preserve. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org