Trilliums, Ants, and Beetles

The first trillium flower had bloomed, and there are many more to come. I've never seen a spring with so many trilliums popping up all over the place.

Established trilliums send up shoots from underground rhizomes, while new plants get some unexpected help from ants.

Trilliums produce tiny seeds that have an oily, edible structure attached to them. These structures, called elaiosomes, are a delicacy to various species of ants. The ants carry the seeds back to their nests, eat the elaiosomes, and discard the seeds. The trilliums benefit by having their seeds dispersed to new habitats.

Ants aren't the only trillium seed-dispersers. Wasps and beetles also enjoy munching on elaiosomes, although beetles generally don't take their seed-dispersal job very seriously. Beetles tend to eat the elaiosomes in place without moving the seeds along.

Beetles are a bit more helpful as pollinators, especially for the Red Trillium (Trillium erectum). This plant blooms early in the spring, when temperatures are still too chilly for bees to be very active. Trilliums can't depend on butterflies for pollination either, because few butterflies overwinter as adults. (The mourning cloak is one that does, which is why it's often the first butterfly to be seen in the spring.)

With bees and butterflies out of the question, Red Trilliums turn to beetles and flies for pollination duty. Their flowers' dark red color and rank scent mimics rotting flesh, hence one common name, 'Stinking Benjamin'.

Flies and beetles are attracted to the sight and scent of a tasty meal, and get coated in pollen as they roam around, looking for food. Trilliums are stingy hosts, though, and don't even provide nectar for their guests.

The other common trillium in Maine is the Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum). It blooms a bit later in the spring, and produces white flowers with a splash of purple-red near the base. These flowers offer nectar as a high-energy bribe to entice bees, butterflies, and moths to visit, as well as flies and beetles. These gorgeous flowers are generally less common than Red Trilliums, but with luck, you'll find some on your spring ramblings.