(April 24, 2024) Trillium, also known as toadshade, birthroot, birthwort, and sometimes wood lily, is a genus of about fifty flowering plant species in the family Melanthiaceae. Trillium species are native to temperate regions of North America and Asia with the greatest diversity of species found in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.
Having 3 flower petals of various colors makes it a special flower for nature Pagans because the number 3 is sacred being both ancient and connective. It is ancient because it is the number of layers in the Ancient Pagan Paradigm. It is connective because it has a middle point unlike the dualist number 2 which has none.
Trilliums tend to be popular and over collected from the wild. Please adhere to the Forest service statement about Trilliums quoted below:
In addition to medicinal uses, like many of our native, showy wildflowers, trilliums are also subject to pressure from overzealous collectors and habitat loss due to land-use changes. If you desire to have trilliums in your garden, please visit a reputable nursery that propagates these species using ecologically sustainable methods.Remember, collecting seed or any other plant material on the national forests and grasslands requires a permit. Please contact your nearest Forest Service office to request a permit before attempting to collect any native plant products. Native trilliums and their many derived hybrids and cultivars are readily available from the nursery trade and should not be collected in the wild.https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/trilliums/about.shtml