Nature Preserves
Connecting People to Nature
Emily Allen Wildflower Preserve
By appointment only | Forsyth County | 6 Acres
Emily used to describe her former yard as “a mess with poison ivy, honeysuckle, and blackberries growing everywhere.” Then over 30 years ago she discovered a showy orchid (Galearis spectabilis) struggling to survive within the “mess” and asked a local expert what it was. With this initial discovery Emily began her journey that has transformed her fifth-generation land into a breathtakingly beautiful woodland wildflower garden known as the Emily H. Allen Wildflower Preserve.
Home to 28 of the 35 known eastern North American Trillium, 30 species of ferns, the state and federal species of special concern Oconee Bells (Shortia glacifolia) and many others, the Preserve was permanently protected in 2000 by Emily Allen and her husband O.G through a donated easement. In 2014, Emily’s family donated the Preserve and the residence on site to PLC to be used as an educational resource. This protection ensures that generations to come will be able to enjoy this beautiful woodland garden and learn about native North Carolina wildflowers first-hand. This unique place called for a unique easement which ensures that the garden will be maintained forever by PLC under the guidance of a Preserve Management Committee.
Currently the Preserve is open by appointment only and for a limited number of special events each year. To request a tour or to learn more about volunteer opportunities in the Preserve, please contact Janice Lancaster by email at jlancaster@piedmontland.org or by calling her at PLC (336) 691-0088.
Maintained by Volunteers
The Emily Allen Wildflower Preserve is cared for by a dedicated group of volunteers. If you are interested in joining the effort to steward this special place, please contact Janice Lancaster by email at jlancaster@piedmontland.org or by calling her at PLC (336) 691-0088.
“Here is something greater than I am and it’s a legacy that I can pass on to others.”
– Emily Allen
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