Ligustrum
Common or European privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and Chinese privet (L. sinense) have escaped into the wild in South Carolina to become weedy and invasive pests. Birds eat the small, black fruit and...
Category: Shrubs
Leaf & Needle Drop
A well-cared-for plant in the landscape that suddenly begins dropping leaves or needles can be a very troubling sight. There is usually no need to be alarmed, since leaf and needle drop often occurs...
Japanese Kerria
Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) is an underused, early flowering, deciduous shrub that thrives in full to part-shade landscapes. It is somewhat unique among flowering shrubs that kerria blooms...
Gray Mold (Botrytis Blight)
Botrytis blight or “gray mold” is a widely distributed disease caused by the fungus Botrytis species. It can infect some vegetables, soft fruits, flowers, trees and shrubs, especially...
Summersweet Clethra
Summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia) is a fantastic shrub with all-season garden interest and can be grown throughout South Carolina. This native species, also called sweet pepperbush, flowers...
Nandina
Nandina or heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) is an evergreen or semi-evergreen broadleaf shrub, which is tough and durable. Large plants have been growing in South Carolina for 100 or more years...
Camellia
Camellias are large, attractive, broad-leaved, evergreen shrubs that are highly prized for their flowers, which bloom from winter to spring. There are more than 2,300 named cultivars registered with...
Forsythia
Border forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia), or golden bell, ushers in spring with its vivid golden yellow flowers and is one of the most recognized shrubs in the South. These hybrid forsythias are...
Why Plants Fail to Flower or Fruit
It can be very disappointing to wait eagerly for a favorite plant to flower and it never does. Flowers and fruits are major horticultural features of plants and can fail to form for many different...
Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla, also called bigleaf or French hydrangea, has either pink or blue flowers. Flower color is determined indirectly by the soil pH, which affects the availability of aluminum in...
Rose Diseases
Roses are one of the most popular and versatile flowering shrubs grown throughout South Carolina. Most roses require a lot of care to grow and bloom properly. One of the most common causes of...
Rose Insects & Related Pests
With their showy and often fragrant blooms, roses are easily one of the most popular flowering plants grown in South Carolina. Unfortunately, the numerous insects and related pests that attack them...