The Rare Ontarian Flower
Personal memory by Astrid Yates
2008 CE • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
When I was 8 years old, we moved into a new house. In the overgrown garden there was a 3 leafed pale flower that seemed to glow brightly against it's surrounding plants. It stood tall as if it was wanting to be noticed. I asked my mother if I could pick it. No, she said, Trilliums are endangered. This was the first I'd heard of an endangered species. Soon after I learned that this was the provincial flower for Ontario, because they used to overpopulate the land. My 8 year old mind understood this as guessing that too many people picked them for their glowing beauty.
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