Trillium

[kalle-k.dk]

One of the species I have collected in a couple of years is Trillium. I have looked several of times after those the have double flowers. I know they are extremely rare, but I am wonder why I not only can find one of them. Many sites on the net descript Trillium ovatum “Barbara Walsh” and therefore I can not understand why it still is so rare, today where there are so easier to propagation with help of meristem. I know there in Japan are some double forms of T. camschatcense, but I have never seen them offered for sale. There are several forms with names of Trillium grandiflorum, one of them are T. gr. “Charles O. Rhodes” found by Rhodes in the 1920, so many year and still rare???  I am also looking after other Trillium some not are on there ordinary marked, for example T. chloropetalum “Val Mulvihill” I hope there are some on the forums who can help me.  

Karl Kristensen
Denmark
www.kalle-k.dk

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Karl, welcome to the forum.
I understand your frustration in trying to source some of these Trillium. Many have the same difficulty.
Some forms just do not set much seed, or do not come true from seed and vegetative propagation is never that fast. I do not think that meristem or its equivalent are being used much on these plants, though others may know more.
Sometimes, of course, there is the case of people with rare plants wanting to keep them just like that, rare! Luckily there are not many of those here in this forum, those people tend to keep quiet and rather secret!

[Tim Orpin]

Hello Karl,

Trilliums are definitley one of my absolute favourites. I suspect that they are even harder to come by down in Australia than in Europe. One day I hope to change that.

As the majority of double trilliums can only be vegetatively propagated, they are hard to produce in any numbers. Added to this, trilliums are generally grown by enthusiasts and have not made it to large scale commercial production. Hopefully this will change in the near future. Other than Barry Sligh in New Zealand, I am not aware of anyone propagating trilliums by tissue culture. I agree that this would be very interesting to explore for doubles and other select clones. There are some magnificent T. chloropetalums out there that are very worthy or mass production. If anyone has experience with trillium tissue culture, I would love to hear from them.

T. choropetalum 'Val Mulvihill' is a magnificent plant that came from Val's garden. There are a few divisions of this around in private collections but it is exceedingly hard to come by. Val was very generous in giving away plant material to the point where the mother plant was badly weakened and she nearly lost it. At the moment she is giving it time to recover.

Tim

[kalle-k.dk]

Thanks to Maggi and Tim for your answer.

I know the double forms of Trillium are rare and not frequently offer for sale, but I can not understand why, I know they not can propagated from seeds and I also know it take times to propagate them vegetative, but I have looked on Carl Denton’s website www.trilliums.co.uk and here can I see many of the double forms are several years old: T. g. “Jenny Rhodes” founded by Mr. Frank Rhodes in 1971, it is not a full double form. Mr. Rhodes found a full double grandiflorum in the 1920, called “Charles O. Rhodes” and T. grandiflorum “Julia” was founded for 50 years ago. T. g. “Smith`s double and “Snow Bunting was founded for over 50 years ago and the a both ordinary nurseries plants today. I have looked for T. ovatum “Barbara Walsh” in long time, without luck, it was founded in 1957.
Many of those Trillium on Carl`s site has a name “Eco” They com from Eco-Gardens in Decatur, Georgia USA, maybe they sale Trilliums, I don’t know, but I know it is very expensive to get plants from USA to Europe, so I hope the are some who read this the can help me to find some of these rare Trillium in Europe

Karl Kristensen
www.kalle-k.dk

[gmoen]

Hi Karl

I have been growing a double form of Trillium grandiflorum for several years. The growth was extremely slow, but I learned a metode from a friend of mine. So from this one plant I managed to get around 30 plants in just a few years. So if this plant will do, for sure I will help you out with a double form of Trillium.

Geir

[annew]

Tell us how, Geir!

[kalle-k.dk]

Yes Geir I am also very interested to hear how you propagate them vegetative with good luck.

I looked on you photo and I am sure it is not the same double I have. One of those double I have, are that they call T. grandiflorum flora plena also called Smith`s double. Did yours have a name? I also have T. gr. “Snow Bunting” and I mean to remember there are variations in the flowers. I am very interested and I will be extremely happy if you can send one of theme to me. Are you interested in trade with T. grandiflorum flora plena? or other plants. I am also ready to pay for the plant. If you send me your e-mail address, I can send you a photo of my T. grandiflorum flora plena.

Yours sincerely

Karl Kristensen
www.kalle-k.dk

[gmoen]

Hi again

Karl, I will probably visit Denmark this summer (as usual). I will go by car, so maybe it would be a idea to bring the Trillium along. I can see form your homepage that you live in Snedsted and I might just include a visit there in my route. We better make more details later. You can find my e-mail address by looking at my profile.

The metod I use to make the double Trillium grandiflorum to grow faster (make new shots) is very simple. I lift the root in autumn and cut it several times with a sharp knife. I do NOT cut it in pieces, but only harm it on the outside (2 mm deep cuts) Then I just plant it back to the ground. This cutting seems to stress the plant in a way, and it starts to produce more shots.

[Greenmanplants]

The cutting of the root promotes side dormant buds to develop.  In nature the trillium thinks that the growing shoot has been eaten and that it had better "Branch out" to survive.  In effect, once the front bud is actively growing, hormones suppress growth in the other buds so that the main shoot can produce a flower and set seed.

Here's a shot of "Snowbunting" with the lead shoot removed the year before (with some intrepidation I mught add).  The reward is 16 side shoots none of which are flowering size but which I am debating when to lift and separate....or whether to try to grow to a flowering clump.

I hasten to add that these in flower below are not necessarily 'Snowbunting'  just a good double.

[kalle-k.dk]

I asked about double Trillium because I hoped to find members who collected rare Trillium, I know they are extremely rare and until now, I had no luck finding any members who could help me. In my fist post I only asked about double Trillium, but I am also interested in get in contact with other members who collect Trillium, members who have some not ordinary species in the garden. I know there are members who grow different forms of T. rivale “Purple Heart” I know there are different colour forms of T. chloropetalum, T. sulcatum and other species. I search those members and hope they are interested in trading rare plants (Trillium)

[Susan Band]

I love all the trillium and last year I flowered some of my own hybrids. I have shown this picture previously but will post it again to encourage people to try for their own hybrids. These came about by growing all the different erectum/sulcatum together then letting nature do the work. It does take a while but the satisfaction when they flower is great. I am afraid it is only me that will enjoy them for the next few years as it will take a while to bulk them up. Try for your own, it is better fun than buying them.

[t00lie]

Susan.Great pic.

I was so taken by your shot above when you posted it previously i lifted most of my erectums, sulcatums and flexipes a month or so ago from all over the garden and placed them together in a new bed.

In fact my enthusiasm was so 'fired up' i went and purchased Cases Trillium publication with an idea to making some deliberate crosses this spring from one or two special plants i left undisturbed .

Cheers Dave.

[Susan Band]

great that you are giving it a go.
The seed parent was a maroon Trillium erectum, although after reading the article in the recent journal it could have been sulcatum.
To speed up the germination try washing the seed in 3% peroxide then storing them on damp paper towels ( also soaked in peroxide to keep them sterile to stop mould growing) inside a new plastic container in the fridge for a couple of months, then bring them out into the house (about december for us) Although still slow they usually germinate the first year.
Good luck
Have a look at www.trilliumresearch.org/research/05rp_12.htm

[mark smyth]

And mentioning Trillium 'Purple Heart' reminds me to mention all of mine this year at plain pink. That I dont understand

[kalle-k.dk]

Dear Susan and other Trillium collector

Thank you for your answer and I am very happy for your advice about germinating from seeds. In my garden I did also have hybrids from cross I don’t now the parents , but they are all beautiful.

I would attach three photo, but I could not find out how to do. Sorry.