Garden clubs from throughout the Beaufort area joined the City of Beaufort’s Park & Tree Committee on Friday in planting two 15-foot Sabal palmettos on Craven Street in downtown Beaufort, across from the Arsenal.
The trees, the first of six, were planted in honor of South Carolina’s Arbor Day.
Funds for the project were donated by the Beaufort Council of Garden Clubs, the Beaufort Garden Club, the Sea Island Garden Club, the Dataw Garden Club, and Mary Ann Borrman, a member of the Beaufort Garden Club. The landscape company, Palms on the Parkway, planted the trees.
“Arbor Day is important to this city. Beaufort is a special place because we care about our community,” said City Manager Bill Prokop. He thanked the garden clubs for their dedication and contributions.
The garden clubs raised $1,500 for the entire project. The funds were donated to Beaufort Pride of Place, a community improvement program managed by the City.
The palmetto, which is on the seal of the State of South Carolina, as well as its flag, has historical importance to the state. During the Revolutionary War, Col. William Moultrie battled the British on Sullivan’s Island.
The fort survived the onslaught because palmettos, laid over sand walls, withstood British cannonballs
Photos courtesy City of Beaufort .
