Hiking in Redwood Regional Park last week, as my eyes scanned over the forest on either side of the trail I saw, nestled in the rich forest mulch, a single, slender white blossom. It took my breath away. The delicate triumvirate of petals, sepals and leaves immediately took me back to our fourth grade science study of California native flowers. Have you guessed yet? The Trillium, also known as Wake Robin, appears early in spring, and only briefly. It loves the shady, rich forest floor, and seems to grow well beneath tall redwoods, creating a rich contrast.

Rarely have I seen such a balanced, delicate beauty of a flower. The three white petals are so perfect. In the center is a tiny golden crown of stigmas. With age, the petals gradually turn pale lavender, then a soft purple. The petals are gently supported by green sepals approximately the same size as the petals. Then, about half way down the slender stem are three large, round leaves. In the regional park, Trillium often grows by itself; in some places, however, we find a small “field” of them.

The first time I saw a Trillium was in a small forested area behind our school in Fort Bragg, California. We were exploring this new adventure ground when I came across one hiding between two trees. Even at that time I felt it was quite something to behold. When our teacher introduced it as part of a study of California native wildflowers, I felt great pride at having seen one, and loved drawing the diagram with colored pencils.

Years passed and this reclusive plant evaded me. What a thrill it was to discover Trillium two miles from home! My curiosity got the best of me, so I explored it on the Internet. I laughed when I discovered that it mostly grows in the eastern part of the United States! No one has informed my “friends” in the East Bay Regional Park system!

My experience has been that wildflowers are difficult to transplant to a garden. How can something so delicate survive? When I researched the Trillium on the Internet, I was in for a surprise! You can buy the plant! Ebay is one location which offers them. The next enhancement to our garden will be Trillium, adding an exquisite beauty to the riot of spring blooms. There is a multitude of choices to beautify our yards and native California wildflowers are an excellent choice to try. Of course, I will study up on their care and feeding of this great member of the Lily family!