snow trillium

(Trillium nivale)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N4 - Apparently Secure

S3 - Vulnerable

Minnesota

Special Concern

 
snow trillium
Photo by Jessica
 
Description

Snow trillium is a low, erect perennial that rises from a short, stout, up to thick rhizome. It often forms colonies where conditions are favorable. Individual plants may live 8 years or more.

A single leafless stalk (scape) rises from the ground 1 to 2. By the time the flower is fully open the scape is 1¼ to 3 tall. It is light green or reddish-brown, slender, and hairless.

There are no true leaves. At the top of the scape is a single flower above a whorl of 3 bracts.

The bracts are attached to the scape by short but distinct leaf stalks. They are 1 to 2 long, egg-shaped to oval, rounded at the base, and usually rounded, not pointed, at the tip. They are bluish-green or dark green, hairless, and untoothed. They have 3 prominent, parallel veins.

The inflorescence is a single flower on a ½ to 1 long, erect or nearly erect, flower stalk at the end of the scape.

The flowers are 1 to 2 wide. They consist of 3 white petals and 3 green sepals, and 6 yellow stamens, and a 3-lobed ovary and style. The petals are longer than the sepals. The sepals are to 1¼ long, narrow, lance-shaped, and bent backward. The petals are to 1 long, white and oval to egg-shaped, with slightly wavy margins. The ovary is not winged.

The fruit is a ¼ to ½, round to egg-shaped, greenish-white, berry.

 

Height

3 to 6

 

Flower Color

White

 

Similar Species

Snow trillium is the smallest Trillium in Minnesota.

Large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is a much larger plant, 8 to 16 tall at maturity. The leaves are wider and are pointed at the tip.

Nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum var. macranthum) is a much larger plant, 8 to 16 tall at maturity. The leaves are wider and are pointed at the tip. The petals are lance-shaped and curve backward at the tip.

Drooping trillium (Trillium flexipes) is a much larger plant, 8 to 16 tall at maturity. The leaves are wider and are pointed at the tip. The petals are lance-shaped and curve backward at the tip.

Habitat

Moist to moderate moisture. Woods. Filtered sunlight. Limey soils.

Ecology

Flowering

Late March to April

Snow trillium is the first wildflower to bloom in the spring in Minnesota forests.

 

Pests and Diseases

 

Use

 

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

All sources but one show snow trillium restricted to the southern third of the state, the metro area, and an isolated occurrence in Douglas County (dark green on the map). Only BONAP shows snow trillium distributed throughout the state (light green).

4/9/2025    
     

Nativity

Native

     

Occurrence

Uncommon

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (green algae and land plants)

Subkingdom

Viridiplantae (green plants)

Infrakingdom

Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)

Superdivision

Embryophyta (land plants)

Division

Tracheophyta (vascular plants)

Subdivision

Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)

Class

Liliopsida (monocots)

Order

Liliales (lilies, supplejacks, and allies)

Family

Melanthiaceae (bunchflowers)

Tribe

Parideae

Genus

Trillium (Trillium)

Subgenus

Callipetalon

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

 

   

Common Names

snow trillium

dwarf white trillium

dwarf white wakerobin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Bract

Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.

 

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

 

Scape

An erect, leafless stalk growing from the rootstock and supporting a flower or a flower cluster.

Visitor Photos
 

Share your photo of this plant.

 

This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption.

Jessica

Found many little dispersed clusters of snow trilliums in the park, especially on mossy banks. Lots of limestone bluffs and soil in this area.

snow trillium   snow trillium
     
snow trillium   snow trillium
     
snow trillium   snow trillium
     
snow trillium    
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
snow trillium   snow trillium

Colony

 

Colony

     
snow trillium   snow trillium

Plants

 

Plant

     
snow trillium   snow trillium

Flower

 

Flower

 

Camera

Slideshows

Trillium nivale (Snow Trillium)
Allen Chartier

Trillium nivale (Snow Trillium)

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos
 

Share your video of this plant.

 

This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.

 

 

 
 
Other Videos

Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale) | Threatened Thursday
Kyle Filicky

About

Apr 2, 2022

Join me to observe and identify the Pennsylvania Rare Snow Trillium!!

On the Ground Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale) with Eric Comley, Garrard County 4-H YD Agent
Garrard County Extension

About

Mar 14, 2021

I hope you enjoy the video and the information in this edition of "On the Ground."

Quality Time With the Rarest Trillium in the Midwest
The Lost Botanist

About

Apr 9, 2023

oday we take a trip to the grand river to see the snow trillium (trillium nivale) at the only area it occurs in Michigan. The habitat is very fragile here, and the species faces a number of threats at the current locations where it grows in Michigan.

Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale)
Ryan Taylor

About

Mar 1, 2023

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 

This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Jessica
4/6/2025

Location: Richard Dorer Memorial Forest/Root River Park

Found many little dispersed clusters of snow trilliums in the park, especially on mossy banks. Lots of limestone bluffs and soil in this area.

snow trillium
Ron Geppert
4/10/2011

Location: Blue Earth County

Today, Sunday April 10, 2011, I saw a thriving and generous population of both the Snow Trillium and Round Lobed Hepatica along the Blue Earth County Red Jacket Bike Trail just north of the Le Sueur River. I noticed the habitat map on your website <http://minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/round-lobed_hepatica.html>  did not show Blue Earth County as a location for the Hepatica.

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 3/31/2009

Last Updated:

© MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved.

About Us

Privacy Policy

Contact Us