Just thought you might want to know.

Helianthus schweinitzii endangered

Our region actually included large expanses of native Piedmont Prairie, especially within 62.14 miles of present-day Charlotte NC.

One Piedmont prairie species--Schweinitz's Sunflower, Helianthus schweinitzii is a perennial wildflower that persists today in a very few prairie remnants and along utility and highway rights-of-way. There are only about 90 known populations, many containing less than 40 plants each.

Because of its scarcity, Schweinitz's Sunflower has been placed on the Endangered Species List and is fully protected by state and federal laws.

Conservation effort are underway at Hilton Pond Center

to restore the population of this plant.But the effort

were met wth disaster,when White-tailed Deer entered the meadow within a few days after the sunflowers were transplanted. These deer apparently pawed up the loose soil, ate nearly all the tuberous roots, and decimated the sunflower plantings.

One of the rarest plants in the United States

Listed as a federal endangered species on 7 May 1991

as of fall 2006 only two plants have shown signs of growth.

Today we are still tring to save this native carolina plant.

So if you see this beautiful sunflower growing along the

roadside PLEASE report it's location and PLEASE do not dig.

This plant is only found in North and South Carolina and

becoming harder to find.

Blueangel