Yellow Trillium (Trillium luteum)

At this month’s meeting (in person at Landrum Depot, and via Zoom, and available thereafter on our YouTube Channel) Tim Lee, Interpretive Ranger/Naturalist for the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, will present “Trillium of The Carolinas,” bringing us up to date on the current debate over trillium’s botanical classification, and shedding more light on the plant’s life-cycle, including its pollination and dispersion by bees, native ants, and yellow jackets. 

He’ll share photos of the several species found in South Carolina and discuss the natural history of each, with an emphasis on those found in the mountains and Piedmont. 

Finally, he will tell us about the “mystery” trillium – a plant found only (thus far) at Jones Gap State Park, which has a flower like that of a well-known species but also has important structural differences as well as a different bloom time. Its classification is currently a hotbed topic of botanical debate — stay tuned! 

A native South Carolinian, Tim Lee has studied and taught as a naturalist and biologist throughout the Southeast for more than 30 years. For the past 22 years, he has been the Interpretive Ranger/Naturalist for South Carolina State Park Service’s Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area where he conducts research and provides educational programs for children and adults. A member of the National Association of Interpreters, Tim is the South Carolina Park Services coordinator with the South Carolina Master Naturalist Program and is an Educational Leadership Partner for the South Carolina Aquarium. 

The meeting will take place at the Landrum Depot in Landrum, S.C., and via Zoom.  Zoom link will be provided about one week prior to the meeting.

Here is the Zoom link for the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/91956361278?pwd=alJiU01rTldpQ1FEUUMzS2pzZFZrQT09