snow trillium

Snow trillium is a low, erect perennial that rises from a short, stout, up to ⅜″ 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 1⅛″ to 2″. By the time the flower is fully open the scape is 1¼″ to 3⅛″ 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 1⅛″ 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 1⅛″ 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 ⅜″ to 1¼″ long, narrow, lance-shaped, and bent backward. The petals are ⅝″ to 1⅜″ 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.

3″ to 6″

White

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.

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

Late March to April

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

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).

Native

Uncommon

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

Colony

Colony

Plants

Plant

Flower

Flower

Trillium nivale (Snow Trillium)
Allen Chartier

Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale) | Threatened Thursday
Kyle Filicky

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

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

Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale)
Ryan Taylor

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.

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.