Trillium is a flower from my youth. Finding a huge patch of them while walking in the woods is an unforgettable experience. This picture was posted eleven days ago when these plants first opened their flowers in our shade garden.
Now that the trees are unfurling their leaves, the time of the trillium is coming to an end for this season. Those pure white blossoms are now pink. Just how wonderful is that? One must pay attention or risk missing this part of the show. Withered brown totally spent flowers can also be seen in this picture. Soon this will be bare ground with no trace of these native treasures as their short time in the sun becomes over.
This native Pinxter bush is just now opening its buds. Most remain closed but the overall affect is sweet smelling pink. Actually two bushes grow here. Perhaps this will be the year when I find the courage to move the smaller plant.
Flowers seen from their side reveal the brazen presentation of the sexual parts. Five rather long filaments have their pollen producing stamens waving in the wind. The sixth longer filament will receive the pollen sending it to the base of the blossom where seeds will be produced. When fertilization is complete, the withered remains of the flower will detach and slide down the limp pistil. Despite the fact that this is only the second day when flowers have been open we did see the remains of a spent blossom.
After the post was written another visit intended to savor the sweetness of the open flowers revealed two winged pollinators. A massive bumble bee was sampling the open flowers. Despite the pollen laden stamens placement way beyond the open petals, the bee was working its way to the base of the blossoms. Its backwards exit is likely the cause of the flower that was pulled away. The second pollinator appeared similar to a bee but it was tiny. This represents the first time that pollinators have been seen near these flowers. I always assumed wind spread the pollen. Must watch out for those assumptions.
1 comment:
Trillium is such a delightful flower. We were surprised to find a red one in the woods near the house. It was a huge clump, so I brought one home to enjoy in the house. I kept thinking a mouse had died in the walls. We finally found the smell - they don't call this flower "Stinking Benjamin" for nothing!
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