Flower profile
Mississippi River wakerobin
Trillium foetidissimum
Mississippi River wakerobin (Trillium foetidissimum) is a flowering plant in the Melanthiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–March across the U.S.
Mississippi River wakerobin is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Louisiana it's most often seen in bloom in February–March.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Trillium foetidissimum, also known as the Mississippi River wakerobin, stinking trillium, or fetid trillium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is found along the Louisiana–Mississippi border in a variety of habitats.
- It belongs to the Melanthiaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–March. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,037 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #27 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Louisiana, most flowering sightings come in February–March.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G3 Vulnerable worldwide. NatureServe
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records mississippi River wakerobin in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Louisiana, Mississippi.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, West Feliciana.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 19 counties across 2 states; the most are in Mississippi (11), Louisiana (8).
Other Trillium on Bloomipedia (12): Pacific trillium, Large white trillium, Red trillium, Painted trillium, Prairie trillium, Toadshade, Little sweet betsy, Bashful wakerobin, Nodding trillium, Giant white wakerobin.
More from the Melanthiaceae family (18 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Green false hellebore, Corn lily, Fremont's death camas, Common beargrass, Mountain deathcamas, Meadow deathcamas.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile TRFO.
- iNaturalist, Trillium foetidissimum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Trillium foetidissimum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Trillium foetidissimum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Daniel Patterson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.