Ontario’s flower – the Trillium

May 28, 2015 · 0 Comments

This past weekend while ATVing on the OFATV trails through Markdale and Chattsworth, I saw one of my favourite flowers the Trillim.
These flowers that are know as Trilliium grandiflorum are protected and as a child I remember always being told not to pick them because it was illegal. I thought if I did I might get arrested and go to jail! I have come to learn that although the Trillium is endangered, it is only protected in provincial parks and on land owned by conservation authorities, however if the flowers and leaves are picked, the plant will most likely not survive to the next season.
In 1937, Ontario choose the White Trillium as its provincial flower which grows in forests in the springtime. This flower can be found in abundance in moist and deciduous forest all over Ontario from late April to early May. White blankets of these beautiful flowers cover the woodland floors for a few weeks of the year, making them a favourite food for white tailed deer who contribute to the reason they are endangered.
The Trillium can be found on you Ontario Driver’s Licence and also on your Ontario’s Health Card. The Latin name for the White Trillium grandiflorum, tri meaning three, referring to the petals, grandiflorum meaning large flower, which is where it gets its nickname, Large Flowered Trillium. Native tribes used to pick, cook and eat the roots of the plant for medicinal purposes.
This beautiful flower is quite a sight to behold, but don’t satisfy the urge to pick the flower, or even a leaf or petal, as without these, the plant will be unable to have any means to produce energy and it will die. If you see a White Trillium, just take pictures and admire with your eyes, and please, do not touch.

By Michelle Austen