![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/WhiteTrilliumGreenStripesonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAlthough I\u2019ve looked elsewhere, so far I\u2019ve only seen these white and green trilliums at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. They are quite striking.<\/p>\n
When I looked closer, I found some are almost entirely green. They are less noticeable as they blend in with the green leaves.<\/p>\n
According to information provided by Bronte Creek, the green stripe is caused by a virus. A Michigan State University website<\/a><\/strong> on the Painted Trillium is a bit more specific. It says \u201cTrillium grandiflorum (Large White Trillium) \u2026 [can be] infected with virus-like mycoplasmas, which are parasitic, subcellular organisms that often result in the normally white petals being streaked with green or pink\u2026.\u201d It says this type of infection is \u201cnot uncommon.\u201d<\/p>\n The basis of the Michigan comments was a source called \u201cCase.\u201d In a chat about green-striped trilliums, another person says<\/strong><\/a> \u201cTo my knowledge there has been no direct DNA work done to confirm and expand on the Case, et.al. observation of mycoplasmas in trillium.\u201d<\/p>\n So I\u2019m not 100% sure what causes the green stripes, but the most accepted theory is that it is an effect caused by mycoplasma.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve read this idea on websites and in books. I guess it may be true although I find it surprising.<\/p>\n Apparently ants collect the seeds from trilliums and take them away from the plant and sometimes underground. They eat only a portion of the seed and the remainder can sprout and start a new plant. (That\u2019s similar to birds eating buckthorn berries, digesting the outer fruity layer, and then shedding the undigested seeds which may grow into new shrubs.)<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve seen ants taking the seeds away from a trillium please let me know with a comment. I\u2019ve never seen ants anywhere near a trillium, myself.<\/p>\n For now, I will enjoy every shade of trillium I find.<\/p>\n Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n Join In<\/strong> Late April and early May are excellent times to find Trilliums in bloom under deciduous trees and in forest clearings. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[29,345,344,342,343],"class_list":["post-3342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-focus","tag-flowers","tag-mycoplasma","tag-red-trilliums","tag-trilliums","tag-white-trilliums"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3342"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8389,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3342\/revisions\/8389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\n
\nA University of Alberta website<\/strong><\/a> cautiously states that the stripe may be caused by a bacteria or virus.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nThis is a Red Trillium near Kingston in 2013.<\/em><\/p>\nDo Ants Really Plant Trilliums?<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nThis photo was taken last year of a white trillium fading to pink which will soon set seed.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nThis Red Trillium has red on the edges of the green sepals, too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\nHave you seen any of these striped trilliums? Or seen any ants toting away the trillium\u2019s seeds? Please share your experiences with a comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"