Dividing a trillium rhizome

[Lisa Millbank]

I've been dividing some perennials in the yard, and dug up some of our Western Trilliums a few days ago.  I wasn't sure how big it would be, but the plants had started sending up clumps of stalks instead of just a single one.

One of the rhizomes turned out to be pretty huge by trillium standards, with five shoots.  We thought it looked cool, so Don took these photos before I divided it.  The four small offshoots each had their own set of roots and could be removed cleanly from the main rhizome with a sharp paring knife.  They could take 2-3 years to bloom.

The roots were very wrinkly, and from what I read, they are "contractile roots" that help pull the rhizome deeper into the soil over time.  The end of the root clings to soil particles, but the inner tissue of the root can contract.  The outer tissue doesn't behave the same way and it wrinkles up like a sleeve.  These roots aren't unique to trilliums, but it is interesting to learn how some seeds that germinate near the surface can gradually burrow down into the dirt themselves, where they have more protection from drought or extreme temperatures.

Lisa Millbank