Tennessee Native Plant Society
Native Plant of the Month
February, 2007
Painted Trillium
Trillium undulatum
Found in cool acidic forests of the Blue Ridge mountains, this beautiful trillium boasts flowers of white with
distinctive rosy red chevrons on each petal and veins trailing from them as if stroked by a paint brush. The
plants are usually around a foot tall and the flowers range from 2 to 3 inches across. The leaves are olive green
and show no mottling.
This species is not as common as many other trilliums found in the area, so you may have to look more intently
to find them, but they are very much worth the effort. The species name undulatum refers to the wavy edges of
the petals. Although it is prized by wildflower gardeners, it is quite finicky and does not grow well outside its
range or habitat requirements.
