Family: Bunchflower/ Melanthiaceae
Ecology/ Botany:
Trillium prefers shaded, moist, mature, coniferous forests such as Coastal Douglas Fir or Coastal Western Hemlock zones. It also grows in the Interior Temperate Rainforest. From seed, it takes up to ten years to mature and flower. As the flower matures and is pollinated, it changes from white to a pink or burgundy colour. The oil-rich seeds are dispersed by ants.
Medicinal/ Traditional/ Other Uses:
It is a uterine stimulant, hence its other names, birthwort, or birthroot. Nlaka’pamux (Thomson) people have used the roots to make eye medicine.
References/ Other useful links:
http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Trillium%20ovatum
Parish, Coupe, Lloyd. 1996. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia. B. C. Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing.