New wildflower trail to open
The trail includes at least seven species of trillium. Donated photo
Nodding Trillium Garden, the Pittillo Family Nature Preserve, will hold a grand opening of its wildflower garden trail on Wednesday, April 17, in Cullowhee.
Botanist Dan Pittillo, Ph.D., will lead guided walks along the trail at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with each hike taking about an hour. Nodding Trillium has one of the finest and most extensive collections of native spring wildflowers in the area, with more than 50 species of native wildflowers including seven trillium species. Pittillo put many of the plants there himself, collecting them on travels throughout the Southern Appalachians.
The garden is conserved through the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. Pittillo preserved it several years ago in loving memory of his late wife Jean, and over the past several years HCLT and volunteers have helped expand the trail, which is open to the public.
