Trilliums are blooming...

...in the woods. These amazing flowers are now decorating our woods and are such a welcomed sight. We are fortunate to have three different species in our woods, Trillium grandiflorum (White Trillium), Trillium erectum (Red Trillium aka Wake Robin) and Trillium undulatum (Painted Trillium). I have been told that thousands of Trillium used to grow in the woods near our house and when they bloomed the woods looked like they had floral carpets. However their beauty seemed to be the cause of their demise. People couldn't just look, they wanted to take them home and enjoy them too. But, when the Trillium are picked, the leaves and bloom which are all on one stem, leave nothing behind to create a new plant for the next Spring. So, once picked, the plant is gone forever. The floral carpets no longer exist in the Spring.We are so fortunate that the few we have on our property still exist.