States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaFloridaVirginia
Menu

Little Sweet Trillium

Trillium cuneatum

Found in rich soils of cove forests, moist slopes, and bottomlands, usually over mafic or calcareous rocks, locally abundant. Also cultivated and escaping. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height
1–1.5 feet
Spread
9 inches–1 foot
Light
Deep shade, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Fruiting season
Late May to June

Not yet recorded · Leaves · Bloom

Bloom: NC species account not read yet.

Leaves: no source found yet.

Recorded in 5 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Rich cove forests

Cove hardwood forest
Regional / representative. Shown: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee; representative habitat composite, not a documented exact viewpoint, a neighboring state.Cove hardwood forest, Hynes, Robert 'Bob', by 2012. Public domain. Source record.

Moist forests

Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland
Regional / representative. Shown: Mountains of North and South Carolina; exact site not identified, a neighboring state.Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 128 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Trillium

  • Clepsis melaleucanusBlack-Patched Clepsis, Trillium Tortrix
  • Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Trilliaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow, green or red
Fruit begins
Late May
Fruit ends
June

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Cuneate Trillium; Sweet Betsy; Trillium cuneatum var. cuneatum

Conservation status

Virginia rankNot available
Global rankG4G5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources