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Trillium nivale

Dwarf White Trillium · Snow Trillium · Snow Wakerobin

Family MelanthiaceaeGenus Trillium

A small white three-petalled flower and its leaves pushing up through crusted snow.
FlowerDDennisMCC BY 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
rhizomatous geophytePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
WhiteFlora of North America
Native range
Native to the lower 48 statesPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Flora of North America — Flora of North America Editorial Committee.

Worth knowing

  • Snow trillium flowers in late winter or early spring, sometimes while snow is still on the ground. In the Ohio River valley its flowers can appear in early March. Wikipedia: Trillium nivale

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  5. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    14 germinated in this phase.

  6. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    24 germinated in this phase.

  7. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    2 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

40% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Trillium p. 223Public domain
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Trillium (Llliaceae). Gibberelins are at least desirable if not requisite for both germination and the production of healthy seedlings. More work is necessary before an optimum procedure can be recommended. The GA-3 treatment was tried with fresh seeds of T. nivale germ. 40-70(40%)-40-70-40(14%)-70(24%)-40(2%) with fresh seed. The cotyledons did not develop normally. Studies with GA-3 are needed.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Trillium p. 223. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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