Flower Power

Under the dappled sunlight of early spring, a tiny flower blooms. Measuring just a few inches tall, the relict trillium is as delicate as it is lovely… and it is in danger. Although once common throughout the southeast, this little beauty is now only found in a few counties in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. It’s been considered an endangered species since 1988 – under threat of extinction in part or all of its former range. Luckily, however, on the hillsides of the Land Trust’s Greystone preserve in North Augusta, it flourishes.

Thanks to a very generous donation from the Knox Family, this little flower now has 262 acres to spread its leaves and grow, grow, grow. Not too long ago, the oak hickory forests of Greystone were in the crosshairs of expanding developments. Now in the hands of the Land Trust, these rolling hills are destined for a different future. A future where streams can flow freely, trees can grow tall, and the flowers will always bloom in springtime.