Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Trillium Have Arrived

A sure sign warm weather is on it's way here in Wisconsin, the trillium are in bloom. Trillium is the state flower and is protected. I learned this the first summer after I moved here. I first saw the flowers while on a walk on a wooded road behind our house. They were beautiful and covered the floor of the woods. I was going to see my friend for her birthday and thought it would be a lovely gift to give her a bouquet of these plentiful flowers. Shortly after, I learned they are protected and not to be picked. Oops! Apparently the plant is severely damaged by picking the flower as it's the food source for the plant. I also learned that it's seeds are spread by mice and ants. I've learned to hold back my urge to pick a bouquet of these wildflowers and rather enjoy them in their natural state. The photos below are from a walk in the woods behind our home a couple of springs ago. Happy Spring!

The friend I brought the illegally picked petals to is Riley over at the blog, Licking Calcutta. It is her birthday today and as usual, I didn't get a card in the mail in time. Go over and have a read and wish her a happy birthday.





1 comment:

TC said...

These are my Mom's favorite flower and even though I've lived in Madison forever now it feels like, she calls me every year when she sees her first Trillium.

When my older brother was like 15 or 16 I want to say, he decided that though they were illegal to pick, he was going to go up the road and dig one up and replant it for her for Mother's Day. (He was attempting to suck up for something, though now I do not remember what.) The flower didn't end up surviving, but I remember we all went and took a walk when she got off work at the hospital that day, and enjoyed them along the hillside together.