24.4.12 Trillium starts to wane.

24 Apr, 2012
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The petals start turning pink as they age. This is the State flower of Ontario in Canada. Apparently if one picks trilliums you stop them flowering because they cannot get strength back in to the plant for future years. From Wikipedia I discovered the following nugget of information. Trillium is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants. At maturity, the base and core of the trillium ovary turns soft and spongy. Trillium seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants extract the seeds from the decaying ovary and take them to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their garbage, where they germinate in a rich growing medium.

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Hywel

That's interesting. There are lots of ants in this garden. Maybe I should grow some Trilliums. I've never actually tried them.

24 Apr, 2012

Scotsgran

It was too good a bit of information not to pass on. We too have a fair number of ants in some parts of the garden. I will be looking to plant more trilliums in known ant areas in future. I had a lilttle chuckle when I read they put the seeds in the garbage. Wonderfully resourceful little recyclers are they not.

24 Apr, 2012

Karenfrance

The ants in my garden farm aphids and black fly on lots of my climbers so I don't like 'em. If you try it, Scotsgran, please can you post a blog? I would love to know if it works.

24 Apr, 2012

Scotsgran

I bought a packet of trillium seeds at the SRGC Show so I will try it if I can find out where they are holed up. I have only seen a couple this year carrying stuff, we assumed to a nest, but its hard to concentrate on a busy ant for very long when trying to soak up that precious sunshine. Maybe they will smell out the seeds on my growing trilliums and if I find them in odd places next year I will see if I can find out if they are in a landfill site made by the ants.

24 Apr, 2012

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