Trillium recurvatum aka Bloody Butcher

Trillium recurvatum is a wildflower of woods and forests. It comes from the central and eastern United States. Its common names include prairie trillium and prairie wake-robin. Another name is bloody butcher. It belongs to the family Melanthiaceae. This herbaceous perennial has soft growth and lives for years. It is native to Missouri and also grows in North Carolina. North Carolina lists it as a significantly rare species. Despite its prairie name, it grows in woods and forests.

Plants form clumps and spread at a slow pace. They spread through rhizomes, which are stems beneath the soil. Garden plants reach about 0.5–1.5 feet [0.15–0.46 metres] tall. The RHS gives an upper height of about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Clumps span about 0.75–1 foot [0.23–0.30 metres]. The RHS allows a spread of 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Each stem has no branches. Three leaf-like bracts grow near its top. These smooth bracts have dark and light green patches. Some have purple patches too. Their undersides are plain light green. Their edges have no teeth. The stout, round stems range from light green to reddish purple. The leaves die back, often by midsummer.

One flower with no stalk sits above the bracts in spring. Sources give April to May as the main bloom time. Three upright petals range from maroon to brownish purple. The RHS also notes that some flowers are yellow. The petal tips bend inward. Three narrow sepals point down. Flowers reach about 0.15 feet [0.045 metres] long. Small, berry-like seed pods, called capsules, ripen in July and August. They have six parts. Their color ranges from pale green to purplish green. Ants carry the seeds away, and small mammals eat the fruit. The plant also hosts the larvae of two moth species.

Grow it in humus-rich soil that stays moist but drains well. It suits part shade, dappled light, or full shade. Clay and loam both suit it. It prefers neutral to slightly acid soil. The RHS allows a wider pH range. Water it at set intervals to support growth. Sources give USDA zones 4–9 and UK hardiness H5. Use it beneath trees or among ferns and spring wildflowers. Leave clumps in place, as they do not transplant well. Plants grown from seed may take five to seven years to flower. Some may take ten years. Take care when you divide the narrow, brittle rhizomes.

Serious pest and disease problems are not common. Aphids, slugs, and snails may attack plants. Leaf spot, rust, and smut can occur. The plant needs no pruning. NCSU marks it as poisonous but names no affected group here. The supplied evidence does not show any safe human food uses.