Greenville plants South Carolina’s first microforest at Loxley Park
September 28, 2026
In an innovative push toward urban conservation, the City of Greenville Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department has announced the installation of South Carolina’s very first microforest at Loxley Park.
Located in the city’s Sherwood Forest neighborhood, the pilot project transforms a pocket of passive parkland into a thriving, self-sustaining native ecosystem using the renowned Miyawaki method. Pioneered by Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s, the technique relies on high-density planting of multi-layered native trees, shrubs, and understory vegetation packed tightly into enriched soil.
By mimicking natural forest stratification and encouraging rapid root competition, microforests can grow up to 10 times faster than traditional monoculture plantings—maturing into a resilient, dense canopy in just 20 to 30 years rather than a century.
Preparation for the site began with city crews clearing out invasive plant species along the grounds and preparing the planting bed with biochar and select organic compost. The installation saw city staff partner with landscape architecture firm Earth Design, Inc., local volunteers, and cyclists participating in the TREE Fund’s annual Tour des Trees charity ride to place 1,500 native plants into the ground.
Once fully established, the compact woodland will provide an array of ecological benefits, including cooler local surface temperatures, cleaner air, enhanced stormwater absorption, and critical habitat for native birds and pollinators.
To give the young root systems time to take hold and safeguard the saplings from neighborhood wildlife, the microforest plot will remain temporarily fenced off with educational signage during its first year of growth.
City officials hope the Loxley Park installation will serve as a living laboratory for sustainable urban forestry across the Upstate, showing how small, underutilized park spaces can be reimagined to combat urban heat islands and expand regional biodiversity.
