The specific name sulcatum means "furrowed, grooved, or sulcate",[4] which describes the tips of the sepals.

[5][6] Trillium sulcatum is a perennial, herbaceous, flowering plant that persists by means of an underground rhizome.

[7] The flower sits atop a long stalk (called a pedicel) rising above the leaves.

The recurved (bent backwards) petals are usually dark red but an occasional white form may be found.

[5][16] Trillium sulcatum is most abundant on the Cumberland Plateau, from northeastern Alabama and northwestern Georgia northward through central Tennessee into eastern Kentucky.