Trillium and Bee 2

A bumble bee alights on the leaves of a white trillium in it’s search for pollen. Captured in early May 2009 in Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby, Ontario, Canada.

The white trillium is also known as the wake robin, the snow trillium, the great white trillium, or the large white trillium and is found throughout eastern North America. It is well-known as the provincial wildflower of Ontario, Canada, as well as the state wildflower of Ohio.

T. grandiflorum was designated the provincial emblem of Ontario in 1937 and as the state wild flower of Ohio in 1987. As the symbol of Ontario, a stylized trillium flower features prominently on the official flag of the province’s French-speaking community. It is also frequently used by the Canadian Heraldic Authority to represent Ontario in grants of arms.