Trillium 2017

[Shadylanejewel]

I have just received a reply from the RHS advice service, having sent them a sample of diseased trillium. Good news and bad, I think. Here is what they said:

The fungus causing the disease you have observed on your plants is a species of Colletotrichum. This causes black spotting on leaves. It is known in the USA and has been observed on Trilliums in the UK.

I haven't decided whether to spray with fungicide. I am not keen to use chemicals in the garden, but on the other hand, I do have quite a lot of trilliums which I do not want to lose. Perhaps some of the trillium growers here could offer their advice? I wonder how the fungus arrived? Did I buy an infected plant? (The plants which are showing signs of infection were grown from seed here in my garden, apart from the original plant, given to me 10 years ago by a friend). Does this fungus spread with wind and rain, like potato blight?

Sorry about the link that didn't work. I haven't been able to find the document online as the link on the pdf goes to a page that has been changed.

It basically says all the same information you received from RHS advice service on the fungus Colletotrichum.  Although, the OSU plant clinic report's very top recommendation said "The fungus sporulates in infected tissue, so it is best to remove and destroy all diseased plants." Then followed by "If you don’t want to do that (understandably), it may be possible to dig them, clean them of all soil and debris, remove any diseased tissues (roots included) and replant them in another part of the garden. A dip in a disinfectant such as a weak bleach solution might help also, but has the potential to harm the plant, and cannot be recommended as it is not a registered treatment."

I'm fairly certain the fungus does spread like potato blight, based on the "sporulates in infected tissue" and other information I've read online.

Wishing you the best of luck.

[Carolyn]

Thanks, Julie, I'm going to put on disposable gloves and clean  up all the diseases bits. I am less keen to dig up the roots but I will try this with one clump and see how I get on.

[Maggi Young]

Susie Egan of Cottage Lake Gardens, Woodinville, Washington, USA  is ready for the first of this season's Trillium Events.

"Tomorrow is our first of 24 Trillium Tea, Talk & Tours for Spring 2017. We've worked ourselves to the bone and worked our friends to the bone as well. But everything is nearly ready. The tables are set, the sun will be shining and the trilliums will be trilling! It doesn't get any better."

[Herman Mylemans]

Trillium erectum, Trillium kurabayashii and  Trillium luteum

[Maggi Young]

I love seeing your  good, healthy plants, Herman.

[Herman Mylemans]

I love seeing your  good, healthy plants, Herman.

Maggi, they are indeed doing very well in our garden. Let us hope that it stays this way.

[Steve Garvie]

Trillium identification
I would be grateful for any advice in naming this Eastern sessile Trillium which I bought as Trillium discolor. It is clearly not a discolor. I thought it might be T.cuneatum but I'm really not sure.
Any suggestions?

[Herman Mylemans]

Trillium identification
I would be grateful for any advice in naming this Eastern sessile Trillium which I bought as Trillium discolor. It is clearly not a discolor. I thought it might be T.cuneatum but I'm really not sure.
Any suggestions?

Steve can you take a picture from the ovary and stamens? Is there any odor?

[Steve Garvie]

Many thanks Herman.

The plant has no scent.
The light levels are poor at this time in the evening but I've taken a few images of the floral parts. I had to peel the stamens off the stigma.

The stamens clasped around the ovary:

Stamens peeled back off the ovary:

Exposed ovary:

[Herman Mylemans]

Many thanks Herman.

The plant has no scent.

Steve, I think it is Trillium reliquum.

[Steve Garvie]

Many thanks Herman.

There are two features which I thought might go against this being reliquum. Firstly this plant has a fairly tall straight stem and is not semi-decumbent. Secondly the connective tissue does not extend significantly beyond the pollen sacs (it does in reliquum creating a beak-like effect) -see: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Endangered_trillium_reliquum_relict_trillium_anthers.jpg

[Herman Mylemans]

Steve, that picture on the link seems to me more Trillium lancifolium. Here are some pictures and details from Trillium cuneatum in our garden. Petals are longer then on your plant and stamens are more erect. (square on the paper are 2mm)

[Steve Garvie]

Many thanks Herman.

I grow both T. reliquum and T. lancifolium and they look different to the mystery Trillium.

Here is a picture of my T. reliquum. It has the typical "S" -shaped stalk which makes it semi-decumbent.



T. lancifolium has a different profile with long narrow leaves creating a propellor effect:

[Herman Mylemans]

Steve, I always thought that the S-shape was typical for Trillium decumbens.
 I meant the link to wikipedia picture seams to be lancifolium instead of reliquum.

You probably know the website from J. Lonsdale http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/Plants_album/The%20Plants%20-%20%20Complete%20Collection/Trilliaceae/Trillium/Subgenus%20Phyllantherum/T.%20reliquum/slides/Trillium%20reliquum%200001.html
There are a lot of pictures from T. reliquum but jou can not see the stem.
If your plant is original from garden seeds it can also be a crossing.

[Steve Garvie]

Herman, John Lonsdale's website states: "T. reliquum is an almost decumbent plant, the leaves sitting on or just above the forest floor.  It is superficially like T. decumbens at first sight but differs in a number of features, particularly its non-pubescent stem.  An S-curve in the stem is often quoted as being diagnostic but in my experience this character is not reliable."
My T. reliquum originates from wild seed and is I think quite typical.