Blooms along The Camellia Trail

This beautiful formal double soft pink camellia bloom was found in the southeast section of Pioneer Cemetery in Greenville. The cemetery is located to the east of the First Methodist Church and was one the first cemeteries in Butler County. It is also the site of the Confederate Hospital (1861-1865) and one of the locations listed to visit in the 2009 and 2019 brochures for The Camellia Trail. It has many heirloom camellias and according to the brochures the large camellias in the southeast corner of the cemetery were planted in 1950 by individuals and civic organizations to be used in floral cuttings for local events. Aurelia Herbert (Mrs. Willis B. Calhoun), who is said to have brought the first camellias to Butler County from South Carolina in the 1840’s, is buried in the historic cemetery. (Bruce Branum | The Standard)