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Wakerobin (Trillium erectum)
Image ID: 2011/ar89T
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Other common names: Erect Trillium, Ill-Sented Wake-robin, Purple Trillium, Red Trillium, Stinking Benjamin, Stinking Willie, Wake-robin
Native
Family:
Liliaceae (Lily)
Height: 0.5 to 1.5 ft.
Blooms: April to
June
Leaf Type:
smooth
Bloom Size: 2.5 in. (typical)
Flower Description:
Individual flowers,
Regular blooms, 3 parts
Location: Allegheny River Trail
Date: 5/9/2011
More photos of this flower
Wakerobin may be
easily confused with:
- Toadshade
As implied by the scientific name, the flower of toadshade is sessile (stemless) - the flower sits right atop the leaves. Also, the mottled leaf is characteristic of toadshade, but not of wake robin.
Folklore, History, and Other Facts
The following information is taken from my great-grandmother's copy of
The Herbalist (1918).
This information is presented for historic purposes only, as many remedies recommended by this book
are toxic!
We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've
grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.
