In the next couple of weeks the trout lilies at Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve, near Whigham, will be in full bloom.

WHIGHAM — There are 140 acres in Grady County where little yellow flowers look like tiny fairies dancing on the carpet of the forest floor.

In the next couple of weeks, those flowers will be in full bloom, to the delight of nature lovers from all over the country.

Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve near Whigham is home to the largest concentration of trout lilies in the world. Established in 2009, the preserve is owned by Grady County through donations from private citizens as well as from the previous owner, Flint River Timber Company, and a grant from the Georgia Land Conservation Program.

The tiny lilies are uncommon in south Georgia. They are usually found in the Appalachian mountains. The theory is that they migrated from the mountains probably tens of thousands of years ago when the glaciers receded after the last ice age. Experts believe the trout lilies were left in some spots in southwest Georgia and north Florida, east of the Chattahoochee, Flint, and Apalachicola rivers.

an Blue, Wolf Creek tour guide and volunteer said, “Apparently, the Wolf Creek spot is just right for them, with a north facing slope of just the right angle, a hardwood forest with dappled sunlight in the winter, soils of just the right type and depth of clay underneath.”

Visitors should plan their excursion to the reserve in the afternoon. Each trout lily flower opens in early afternoon, follows the sun and closes at dusk. If it is raining heavily or very dark and cloudy in the morning, the flowers may stay closed into the afternoon, but if the sun comes out later in the afternoon, they may open.

Each individual flower re-opens for several days, with overall numbers of flowers in bloom beginning gradually, increasing, peaking, then declining over the course of a few weeks. Depending on the winter weather, the overall bloom may last anywhere from three or four weeks. Unexpected cold snaps do not seem to bother the little blooms.

Because of the wet, muddy slope, visitors should where boots or shoes with treads and consider carrying a walking stick and of course, a camera. There is no access for people with significantly limited mobility who cannot complete a walk of several hundred yards on a slope. Pets are not allowed.

Visitors can explore on their own or attend a guided tour.

The Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve is located just off U.S. Highway 84, five miles west of Cairo to Wolf Creek Road, turn left, and look for the first gate on your left.

Scheduled tours are at 1 p.m and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Feb. 28, and on Wednesday and Feb. 27. Additional tour times may be added in March. Contact Beth Grant at bethgrant@bellsouth.net. for updates.

Grant said, “The City of Whigham has really embraced us this year.” She said many of the local businesses are offering discounts for those who tour the reserve.