One of my earliest horticultural memories was watching my grandmother arrange purple berried branches of American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) in a vase and place it in the center of her dining room table. These beautiful, native shrubs grew wild in the woods surrounding her home, full of clusters of purple berries in the fall.
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) has beautiful, dense clusters of purple berries in the fall.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
I’ll admit that I am not a native plant purist because many non-native plants thrill my gardening soul. My landscape is a combination of many native plants and plants from other countries. A big advantage of indigenous, native plants is that they are extremely hardy and tend to be pest free. To protect pollinating and beneficial insects, I never use insecticides in my garden; I always choose plants with natural pest insect resistance.
Spring bloomers, such as a wide variety of native azaleas (Rhododendron species), fothergilla (Fothergilla major), and Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), all fill the air with their wonderful scents and are included in my plant collection.
The native flame azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum) brightens up a woodland setting in the spring. The flower colors may vary from orange to yellow.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Fothergilla (Fothergilla major) ranges in height from 6 to 12 feet and has fragrant white flowers in the spring.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) has drooping white flowers in the spring and red fall foliage. It does have the tendency to sucker, so plant where it can spread.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Other favorites include sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) with its clove-scented, rust-colored flowers and its yellow-flowered cousin, Athens sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus ‘Athens’), which has a fragrance similar to apples and bananas. There’s nothing more pleasurable than being outside on a warm spring day with the scent of flowers drifting in the breeze throughout the garden.
Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) has clove-scented, rust-colored flowers in the spring.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
The pale green flowers of the Athens sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus ‘Athens’) have an apple-banana scent.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Some of my other favorite native shrubs include oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), Florida anise (Illicium floridanum), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and a number of buckeye species (Aesculus species).
Oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) on the left and Annabelle hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) on the right brighten up a May landscape.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
In April, the maroon flowers of a Florida anise (Illicium floridanum) contrast well with the dark green evergreen foliage.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) has ball-shaped flowers that bloom from June to September.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Painted buckeyes (Aesculus sylvatica) bloom in the spring, and the flower colors can vary from yellow, cream, or pink.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2023 HGIC, Clemson University
Don’t forget the flowering native trees. Everyone is familiar with our native dogwood (Cornus florida), redbud (Cercis canadensis), and Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). The two-winged silverbell (Halesia diptera), serviceberry (Amelanchier species), grancy greybeard (Chionanthus virginicus), and witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) all flower and add so much to the landscape.
A two-winged silverbell tree (Halesia diptera) is covered with thousands of white, bell-shaped flowers in the spring.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2023 HGIC, Clemson University
Common serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is a beautiful small tree that flowers before the leaves emerge.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2023 HGIC, Clemson University
Grancy greybeard or white fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) is a small, deciduous tree that has lacy flowers in the spring.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
American witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a small, multi-trunked tree that has fragrant, strap-like flowers in the fall.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2023 HGIC, Clemson University
Being familiar with plants’ blooming cycles will help you design a landscape that offers continual bloom throughout the year. If planned properly and the weather cooperates, you can have something in flower year around in South Carolina. For more information on native plants, see HGIC 1852, An Introduction to Native Plants for SC Landscapes and Native Plants for Wildlife: Resources for Home Gardeners.
My plant list goes on and on, but printing space and attention spans do not. To those of us who fall in the plant obsession category, my advice is to not only look to other countries to fulfill our quest for new and exciting plants but also look to our Southeastern native flora right here at our dirt-stained fingertips.
