Protean wood lilies

摘要

Matt Bishop reports on a recent trip to the USA, where he studied the spring woodland flora of West Virginia. WEST VIRGINIA is a fascinating place for British plant addicts because many of the flowers from this woodland state are to be found in our gardens. Few gardeners would miss the chance to see familiar garden plants in the wild and when I had the opportunity to study and work in America, I took it with open arms. Based in Charleston, the capital of West Virginia, I visited Paint Creek, to the south-west, at the end of March. Here I saw my first trilliums in the wild. Even though the mixed colony of T. erectum and T. grandiflorum was relatively small, I was hooked.