Alrightnowyoutellme (10 reveal) Trillium grandiflorum; White Trillium

Yes I knew that this would be an easy one. Way to go if you said Trillium. The Trillium is unique in that it may take 17 years to mature, and the plant may live up to 70 years. If you pick a Trillium it will take approximately 7 years to bloom again. Because of the very long recovery time, if a plant is picked or disturbed, some states have declared it against the law to pick this plant.

The Trillium is an edible plant it's green leaves can be eaten raw or cooked much like spinach. This plant has some medicinal benefits as well. The Trilliums roots can be grated and cooked to reduce swelling, it can also be used as a diuretic, and even reduce abdominal cramping; (this blog post is in no way intended to be a resource for natural healing).

The Trilliums worst enemy is the White Tailed Deer; (also the enemy of the weary drivers across the state). Deer love Trilliums and can disturb large  percentages of Trillium beds every year. An interesting aspect of this plants life cycle is that ants distribute seeds by taking the seeds to be used as food for the larva. The seeds then grow where they are safe and away from the deer who are eating the blossoms of the mature plants, which could affect the plant for up to seven years. Young plants grow in the nutrient rich waste of ant colonies.Very Interesting! Who knew?