Hope

One of the more unusual trilliums in the garden is this red nodding trillium, near the wildflower bed under a mock orange. You almost have to lay on the ground to see the bloom under the foliage.

I was delighted last Thursday when I saw a large red seed pod on this trillium, but today I didn't see it when I walked by it several times. Finally, I investigated the situation and found the dead foliage and the stem with an unusual mark at the end like the seed pod had been picked. My heart sank as I was looking forward to propagating this plant. I searched the debris and found the seed pod, half eaten. Even though the remaining seeds were not ready for harvest, I spread them on some soil in a pot. Let's hope it works.

I found this picture on the Internet. Last Thursday the seed pod looked like the one on the left and today it looked like the one on the right.


Update: I just did a little research and found trilliums take up to two years to germinate and then 5 more years to bloom. So I should have titled this entry Hope and Patience. I also learned that moist seeds, like the ones I sowed, germinate best.