Flower profile

Red trillium

Trillium erectum

Native in the lower 48

Three deep-red petals on a woodland floor mean spring has arrived. This early bloomer has some funny nicknames.

23states

10of our state lists

31,718U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia

Fun facts

It's a spring ephemeral: it comes up, flowers and fades early in the year, in step with the forests where it lives. ^Wikipedia
It's native to the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada, from northern Georgia to Quebec and New Brunswick. ^Wikipedia
It's also called wake robin, purple trillium, bethroot and stinking benjamin. ^Wikipedia
"Wake robin" refers to the red-breasted European robin, a sign of spring. ^Wikipedia
Despite the name, the petals can be dark red-brown, maroon, purple, pale yellow or white. ^Wikipedia
After pollination, it forms a dark red, berry-like capsule about 1–1.5 cm long. ^Wikipedia

✨ Did you know?

Why "stinking benjamin"? The flower gives off a smell some describe as wet dog, which draws carrion flies and beetles that pollinate it. ^Wikipedia

Red trillium gift ideas

Handmade trillium gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Trillium art print
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Spring woodland card
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Trillium pendant
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Botanical notebook
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Forest wildflower mug
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Embroidered patch
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (12,941 records)

Bloom time in each of our 10 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Vermont	Native	April–May	5,415
New York	Native	April–May	5,221
Massachusetts	Native	April–May	4,608
Pennsylvania	Native	April–May	3,135
North Carolina	Native	April–May	2,674
New Hampshire	Native	April–June	2,363
Maine	Native	April–May	1,730
Connecticut	Native	April–May	1,441
West Virginia	Native	March–May	825
Kentucky	Native	March–April	692

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
New York: Exploitably vulnerable On New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3): exploitably vulnerable (protected from picking without the landowner's permission). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Kentucky: Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kentucky. ^{400 KAR 3:040}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S1), IL (S1), RI (S1), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please enjoy trilliums where they grow. NatureServe ranks red trillium critically imperiled in Delaware, Illinois, Rhode Island and South Carolina. Also: it's on New York's rare plant list (exploitably vulnerable). ^{NatureServe 6 NYCRR § 193.3}

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot edible: mildly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (low severity). The fruits and roots are the poisonous parts. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

We couldn't find a trillium entry in the ASPCA plant database.

🌿 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 red trillium in 23 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Worcester.

More Vermont flowers

Large white trillium

Trillium grandiflorum

★ OH state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in VT: April–May

Painted trillium

Trillium undulatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in VT: May–June

Green false hellebore

Veratrum viride

Native

🌼 Blooms in VT: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile TRER3.
iNaturalist, Trillium erectum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Trillium erectum (facts restated in our own words).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Trillium erectum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: glenspurlock via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.