PalmettoPride Announces 2026 Tree Grant Recipients
Program Helps Restore South Carolina Tree Canopy One Year After Hurricane Helene
Columbia, SC (October 2, 2025) – PalmettoPride has awarded 1,503 trees to 18 organizations in 13 counties through its annual Tree Grant program, offered to municipalities, nonprofits and environmental groups across South Carolina.
| County | Organization | Number of Trees |
| Anderson | Anderson County Government | 18 |
| Charleston | City of North Charleston | 24 |
| Oconee | City of Westminster | 57 |
| Lexington | County of Lexington | 60 |
| Florence | Dr. Ronald E. McNair School of Digital Communications and Leadership | 10 |
| Aiken | Keep Aiken County Beautiful | 300 |
| Dorchester | Keep Dorchester County Beautiful | 40 |
| Horry | Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful | 110 |
| Lexington | Leaphart Elementary School STEAM Magnet | 12 |
| York | Leroy Springs and Company DBA Anne Springs Close Greenway | 28 |
| Dorchester | Mateeba Homeowners Association | 90 |
| Richland | Richland County Recreation Commission | 20 |
| Oconee | Seneca High School | 246 |
| Lexington | Town of Batesburg-Leesville | 71 |
| Beaufort | Town of Bluffton | 257 |
| Hampton | Town of Estill | 120 |
| Orangeburg | Town of Holly Hill | 6 |
| Orangeburg | Town of Neeses | 34 |
The grants provide trees for planting in public spaces such as parks and schools, expanding access to green space for residents statewide. The program is supported through a partnership with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, where horticulture departments propagate the saplings. The initiative supplies trees for communities while offering inmates hands-on job training. PalmettoPride, South Carolina’s anti-litter organization, invests more than $600,000 each year to strengthen communities through litter prevention and pickup.
“Planting trees is more than beautification—it’s prevention,” said Sarah Lyles, PalmettoPride Executive Director. “When people are proud of their surroundings, they take care of them. And when they value where they live, they’re far less likely to litter.”
This year’s cycle concludes just days after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, which destroyed nearly a million trees and an estimated 1 to 4 percent of South Carolina’s canopy coverage. Many of the distributed trees will replace those lost, helping communities restore shade, wildlife habitats and the ecological benefits that canopies provide. Once mature, the new trees each are expected to sequester nearly 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, reduce stormwater runoff and air pollution, and enhance community spaces.
Since its launch, the Tree Grant program has planted over 30,000 trees in South Carolina, sequestering nearly seven million pounds of carbon. Grant recipients will pick up their trees on Thursday, October 16, from 10am to 1pm at the South Carolina Department of Corrections Horticultural Facility, located at 4444 Broad River Road, Columbia. For more information, contact info@palmettopride.org.
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Created as a legislative initiative to help beautify our state, PalmettoPride is a 501(3)c nonprofit organization that fights litter in South Carolina by inspiring prevention through education, supporting enforcement, connecting community groups to resources, and mobilizing volunteers.
Media Contact: Hannah Feeley
Communications Manager
mhfeeley@palmettopride.org
Office: (803) 726-3284