Trillium grandiflorum- Wild Collected

[Kristl Walek]

Moist Packed Trillium grandiflorum available (wild collected in Ontario, Canada)
If it does what it normally will, germination can be expected by October/November, so cannot keep this in stock.

Please email me privately with your address.

[Kristl Walek]

All requests received thus far will be in the mail tomorrow.

[Paul T]

Kristl,

Does grandiflorum have any special requirements?  I can grow erectum and simile here, but have tried and failed with grandiflorum a couple of times.  Then again, those from seed were dried seed from an exchange.  I have also bought two different plants at times and lost them both quite rapidly. Naturally, what sort of conditions and soils do you find them growing on (if you don't mind me asking)?

Thanks.

[Kristl Walek]

Paul,
While I have found it challenging to grow a few species of Trillium (T. undulatum in particular); I have found most members of this genus quite straightforward and flexible as to growing conditions, timing of being moved or planted, etc.

T. grandiflorum, in particular, I have moved, planted, etc at all stages of growth (including in full bloom on a sunny, hot day, at worst) without loss. On a rare occasion, the plants reacted by going underground (dormant), but would inevitably show their noses again at some later point.

In the wild, I almost always saw them in deciduous woods, usually under sugar maples, on alkaline soils, usually fairly dry situations, at least after the spring flowering period. Given moister, better conditions in the garden, they thrive and grow much larger and more floriferous than in the wild.

In areas where the woods were distinct in terms of alkaline/acid conditions, one could almost see a dividing line of Trillium grandiflorum on the alkaline side and Trillium erectum on the acid.

I imagine I will have to work to get T. grandiflorum to be happy here, now that I am gardening on heavily acid soil in Nova Scotia.

[t00lie]

This is what you can expect from Kristl's seed .

A couple of pics of trillium erectum wild coll----received /sown november 07 --germinated earlier this autumn,(march 09), and now above ground .

--hairs on a dogs back .......

Cheers dave.

[Paul T]

Kristl,

Spectacular display of them.  Maybe I should give them a try from seed again.  Seems a shame to waste good seed though, given my track record so far. 

[Kristl Walek]

Dave,
I do a lot of sowing in fish boxes as well....nice to see someone else doing this!!!

Tell me, did you leave the boxes on top of the ground, or dig them in?

I suppose you don't get deep levels of cold there for the cold treatment----but I am curious for my research (and the book)---what is the coldest it would have gotten during the cold they received?

[gote]

I imagine I will have to work to get T. grandiflorum to be happy here, now that I am gardening on heavily acid soil in Nova Scotia.

I have always grown all Trilliums on acid soil - even most of those that are supposed to require alkaline sol.
However, there is Calcium available since I fertilize with bonemeal. I thisk that the requirement on calcium ions is sometimes confused with the fact that these usually are supplied by Calcium carbonate and that tends to buffer the pH up.
Cheers
Göte

[t00lie]

Dave,
I do a lot of sowing in fish boxes as well....nice to see someone else doing this!!!

Tell me, did you leave the boxes on top of the ground, or dig them in?

I suppose you don't get deep levels of cold there for the cold treatment----but I am curious for my research (and the book)---what is the coldest it would have gotten during the cold they received?

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Hello Kristl

The boxes are left out in the open on top of the ground.

Winters here are very mild and short --(although we still complain --   )

In our sheltered spot ,frosts *(-3 or maybe -4 C),are less than half of what is experienced out in the countryside(-9c).

I work outside all year round landscaping --a few times the ground will remain frozen throughout the day ,especially if the weather clouds over after a heavy frost, but generally thawing occurs late morning.

Interestingly i have had T.undulatum seed germinate in* these conditions however lost them over the summer when i moved the pot thinking they needed a sunny warm spot.(The seed you sent me of this sps has not germinated yet but looks healthy.--upon germination they will remain in the coolest place available  

I don't always use fish boxes --i tend to get a bit lazy , sow out in a very small pot and the following happens  

Cheers dave.

[Kristl Walek]

thanks for the added information, Dave.
after some tearing out of hair trying to figure out the logistics of what your seed did  (and i don't have much hair to tear out...) 
i wrote out the warm-cold periods, then reversed the seasons, etc...and finally realized that your T. erectrum seed did, in fact, receive two periods of cold (which is what the pattern is for this species, in my testing).