On our last walk through the forests near The Abandoned,
Sissy and I found this lush green heart of Trilliums. There are four flowers here, growing closely clumped together! As children, we
were taught that when you pick a Trillium, it takes seven
years to grow back again. This is no old wives' tale. It actually takes many years for the plant to recover after it is picked, or disturbed. This is one reason I worry about the clearing going on in The Abandoned. These beautiful flowers are everywhere and many are being destroyed, or badly damaged.
This morning, I also learned some additional things I didn't know about Trilliums. The first is, when the flower reaches maturity, it attracts ants. The ants take the seeds from the
flower to their nest, where they eat the fleshy part of the seed and throw the
rest into their ant garbage—from which the plant grows. Ant “garbage” is rich in nutrients, so the
seeds have a great place to thrive.
The other fun fact I discovered is that in the early 1900’s,
the Trillium was called the “Beth Root” and that in the early 1900's, a tonic made from the root of
the flower was used for medicinal purposes!
WARNING: You shouldn't visit The Abandoned without permission from the owner or caretaker. If you do, you risk getting arrested for trespassing.
2 comments:
Beth root? How cool is that!!! I too worry about the wild flowers and plants being cleared. It's a shame that so much nature is being wiped from the area. We did get a kick out of the workers when they started taking out a log near the wetlands ... and it turned out to have a skunk in residence. They had to change out their machines for a few days while the one 'aired out'! Nature strikes back!!!
Haha, nice name, Beth root. Honestly, I dont know this plant. Great heart find, Beth.
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