Author: Sue Watts

From winter seed balls to towering trunks, explore the beauty, history, and wildlife value of the American sycamore tree.

Meet the dew drop spider—tiny, silver, and full of surprises. Learn how to identify it and explore its unique behavior in larger spider webs.

Learn why you should never touch the Southern Flannel Caterpillar and what to do if you’re stung by this deceptively furry insect.

Support native bees by leaving stems, bare soil, and planting native flowers. Simple gardening choices can create safe backyard habitats for these essential pollinators.

Learn how two-spotted scoliid wasps help control Japanese beetles while pollinating flowers—valuable, gentle allies in your lawn and garden.

Design a moon garden filled with night-blooming native plants, glowing blooms, and habitat for evening pollinators and fireflies.

South Carolina’s landscapes host two very different mulberries. Discover how to spot the native red mulberry versus the introduced white mulberry, why colonists planted the latter for silk, how Indigenous communities and wildlife rely on these trees, and what you can do to protect native genetics.

Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) is a vibrant, hummingbird-friendly perennial with historical medicinal uses. This plant, known for its striking red and yellow flowers, was once used by Native Americans to treat intestinal worms. Learn how to grow it in your garden and explore its fascinating past.

A quiet spring afternoon led to a surprising backyard encounter with a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Follow along as Sue Watts shares observations of its unique feeding habits, its seasonal migration, and the minor impact these woodpeckers have on trees in the South Carolina Botanical Garden.

Native oaks support wildlife, control erosion, and help landscapes recover after storms. Learn how replanting these trees can restore our environment.