Little Sweet Betsy Trillium, AKA Trillium Cuneatum
Spring is my favorite time of year for walking through the woods around our home in North Carolina. Not only is it easy to navigate before the summer jungle takes over, but the early spring flowers, like sweet Betsy trillium (Trillium cuneatum), are sheer delights to behold.
So on a delightful early spring day in March, as we walked down our wooded lot to check our ramps plants, we spotted the beautiful and stately sweet Betsy trillium.
The sweet Betsy trillium is a beautiful and stately plant that can grow up to 18 inches tall. There she was just standing there, in all her beauty, quietly growing, and putting on such a show that few to none may ever see.
Let’s get know her a little more.
Trillium Cuneatum Names
Sweet Betsy Trillium Scientific Names
Sweet Betsy is a member of the Trillium genus, which is known for its distinctive three-petaled flowers and three-parted leaves.
The scientific name for sweet Betsy trillium is Trillium cuneatum. “Trillium” is derived from the Latin word “trilix,” meaning “triple,” which refers to the plant’s three-petaled flowers and three-parted leaves.
“Cuneatum” is derived from the Latin word “cuneatus”, meaning “wedge-shaped,” which refers to the shape of the plant’s leaves.
- FAMILY: Liliaceae – from the word lily, which comes from the Latin, Lilium, derived from the Greek word, leirion, meaning “true”
- GENUS: Trillium – from Latin trilix, meaning “triple”
- SPECIES: Cuneatum – from Latin cuneatus, meaning wedge-shaped
What Are Sweet Betsy Trillium Common Names?
We’re so glad that the most popular common name is sweet Betsy rather than bloody butcher, or even “toadshade”!
Trillium Cuneatum Common Names
- bloody butcher
- Hugher’s trillium
- sweet Betsy
- toad trillium
- toadshade –
- large toadshade
- purple toadshade
- toadshade –
- whippoorwill flower
- wood lily
- wood trillium
Where Does Sweet Betsy Trillium Grow?
The sweet Betsy trillium prefers to grow in wooded areas, often along stream banks or other moist habitats in the southeastern United States.
Known botanically as Trillium cuneatum, sweet Betsy trillium is a slow spreading perennial that can be found in these states:
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
See Will Ferrell’s article on Primula here.
Sweet Betsy trillium is said to be one of the largest and most vigorous of the eastern North American sessile (stemless) trilliums.
~MissouriBotanicalGarden.org[1]https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=281992&isprofile=0&#
Trillium Cuneatum Flowers
Beautiful flowers with golden-centers, the sweet Betsy trillium blossoms are found in these colors:
COLORS: What Are the Sweet Betsy Trillium Flower Colors
- burgundy
- maroon
- yellowish-bronze
T. cuneatum flowers are typically maroon or reddish-purple and measure up to 2 inches across. The plant blooms in early spring, typically from March to May, and its flowers are pollinated by ants.
FRAGRANCE: What Do Sweet Betsy Trillium Smell Like?
We think that sweet Betsy trillium (T. cuneatum) smells like a banana apple smoothie.
GardensAll.com
Summary of What People Say Sweet Betsy Trillium’s Fragrance to Smell Like:
- Banana
- Banana & apple smoothie (this is exactly what it reminds me of)
- Pineapple, strawberry & banana
- Tropical fruit
- Calycanthus blossom fragrance
“If you get on your knees, sweet Betsy trillium has not only the flower color but fragrance of Calycanthus. T. cuneatum are such a great kick-off for spring.”
~Will Ferrell, retired dentist, avid gardener, writer (See Will’s Primula article here.)
But what does Calycanthus smell like? The showy fragrant blooms of Calycanthus have been described as combining hints of pineapple, strawberry, and banana.[2]https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/calycanthus-floridus/
Sweet Betsy trillium has the flower color and fragrance of Calycanthus.
~Will Ferrell, retired dentist, avid gardener, writer
When Do Trillium Cuneatum Flowers Bloom?
In our area of North Carolina, hardiness zone 7a, our T. cuneatum are blooming in the first week of March. It used to be mid to late March, but this is our third of three milder winters so the actual bloom-time is happening a week or two earlier, in early March.
Check out more lovely early spring flowers here, in our article on weeds with purple flowers.
I’m LeAura Alderson, a garden, herb and plant enthusiast with a passion for discovering the many edible and medicinal benefits of the plants all around us, including the weeds! I’m a writer, editor and media publisher for our family of websites.
While I was certified in fitness and life coaching, I am NOT a health practitioner. However, I’m a lifelong health enthusiast, with a keen interest in healthy, organic foods and making home remedies and the content we share is from our own experience and usage as well as that extracted from scientific research so that you can explore further on your own.
Always seek the advice and guidance of your health practitioners first and foremost.
As a family we’re steadily expanding our gardening, experimentation and knowledge around all things gardening, edible landscaping, fresh organic foods and self sustainability with farming in our future. I also own and manage iCreateDaily.com, a site all about transformation through creation, and the power of positivity, optimism and mindset.
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