Trillium Applebaumus

The latest addition to my garden, the Trillium Applebaumus* courtesy of my friend Jim Applebaum who brought it down from Lake Kawagama where he has a cottage with wife Patricia Davidson, dogs, trees and lots of spring Trilliums. And no, it isn't against the law to transplant this kind of Trillium:

- "While it is a popular belief that it is illegal to pick the common Trillium grandiflorum (white trillium) in Ontario, in reality no such law actually exists. However, the rare Trillium flexipes (drooping trillium) is protected by law in Ontario [1], because of its very small Canadian population.

- Trillium is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants and mice. Trillium seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants take the seeds to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their garbage, where they can be protected until they germinate. They also get the added bonus of growing in a medium made richer by the ant garbage.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium

So whereas my Trillium is well guarded against dogs and raccoons who are the made marauders of my garden, there is ample room between the stick fencing to let in the mice and ants to help propagate.

*Trillium Applebaumus, also known as Grandiflorum