Yellow Trillium.

[Cephalotus]

Hello,
that plant is being offered as Trillium luteum, but I don't think that is properly identified. I know that there are several Trillium sp. that have yellow forms and they are often mistaken with T. luteum. I think that the plant shown on the photo is a yellow form of T. chloropetalum but it also could be T. maculatum. I am not sure, since I am not a specialist with Trilliums. Could anyone help me properly identify that plant?

[Carolyn]

Is this plant in flower just now? My T. luteum does not flower until May. In the garden chloropetalum is flowering now. The trillium book by F & R Case says that T luteum is lemon scented (I have never noticed this).

[Gabriela]

Hello Chris,
That's a handsome Trillium but you're right - not T. luteum. I'll att. a couple of images from last year - not in a real good shape because it was transplanted the year before.
It is very distinct, besides details (see link to Flora of NA), the flowers are pure yellow, don't open more than seen in the picture (also called goblet trillium) and they have a wonderful lemony fragrance.
Leaves not with wavy margins and spotted silver/green.
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101999





Carolyn - true T. luteum is fragrant, there are hybrids in the wild and on the market as well, which may not be.

[Cephalotus]

Hi,
the plant is not in my garden it is a photo from a shop, where it is sold as T. luteum. Not once I got yellow trillium from others that in fact were not that species. Now I decided to buy it in one of Polish nurseries, but when I saw their photo of the plant I knew that it was wrongly identified. I am not sure what species it is, and I wanted to inform the shop to do the correction, but I hoped I could give them a proper name of it.

[Carolyn]

Gabriela,
Thanks for this info, I will have a closer look at mine in May. There seem to be so many hybrid plants around.

[Afloden]

It is definitely a western North American species. It seems likely that it is chloropetalum or kurabayashii, but you need filament lengths and other floral characters to determine the species. It may also be a hybrid between those species. No matter what it is it is a very nice plant!

[WimB]

Chris,

I'd say it's one of those chloropetalum hybrids...very beautiful. Have a look here: http://www.kalle-k.dk/T.%20chloropetalum%20'Ice%20Creme'.JPG

[Cephalotus]

Thank you all for you replies. I will talk with the owner of this plant and try to ask him to change a photo in his offer or name of the offered plant.