Trillium cuneatum Raf.

Whippoorwill flower, little sweet Betsy

Sweet Betsy is a North American native.

Plants: Plants have one to five round stems, and are up to 1′ (38 cm) high.

Leaves: Each plant has a whorl of three leaves, each leaf facing straight upward, with the flower emerging from the center of the three leaves. Leaves are 2½–7 ⨉ 2½–5″ (7–18 ⨉ 7–13 cm), green mottled with pale green, roughly oval or diamond-shaped, wider at the bottom and tapering somewhat at the top, with even edges.

Flowers: Green streaked with very deep purple, or pure purple, turning even darker with age. They are about 1–2″ (2.7–6 cm) around and ¼–½″ (7–13 mm) long, and have a faint, usually pleasant spicy odor.

Fruits: Green or with purple streaks, oval, with odd angles or flattened areas, and ¾ ⨉ ⅜–½″ (2 ⨉ 1–1.5 cm).

Habitats: Rich soils in mostly upland woods, especially limestone soils but also at less calcareous sites. It is found at elevations of 164–1312′ (50–400 m).

Edibility: Poisonous The leaves contain needle-like calcium oxalate crystals called raphides, part of the plant’s defense.

Another trillium which is nearly identical is Trillium sessile. It differs only in size, being up to 8″ (20 cm) high. See also this Trillium comparison table.

Online References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Trillium cuneatum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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