To see other plants that grow wild on the Trail, visit www.scnps.org/swamprabbit What is a native plant? In general, plants are VINES considered to be native to this area if they occurred To learn more about these and other wild plants and the natural communities Swamp Rabbit plants growing in the Carolinas here before Europeans arrived. Over thousands of years, Carolina Jessamine, they are a part of, join South Carolina Native Plant Society members at a field trip, workday, native flora and fauna have developed complex inter- Yellow Jessamine o plant rescue, or lecture. Visit www.scnps.org to see what’s going on! dependencies that we are only beginning to understand. Gelsemium sempervirens. The bright yellow since before the time of Columbus trumpet-shaped flowers of South Carolina’s state flower bloom on this evergreen twining vine in early spring. The entire plant is toxic, containing strychnine-related chemicals. FERNS FORBS/HERBS Carolina Moonseed o g Cocculus carolinus. A perennial woody vine Christmas Fern o i Bunched Arrowhead o Sagittaria fasciculata. f Wild Strawberry o Small’s Ragwort o f Hollow-stem Joe Pye Weed o with attractive bunches of dark to translucent Polystichum acrostichoides. A widespread A globally rare, federally protected plant known Fragaria virginiana. Domestic strawberries are Packera anonyma. A rich golden- Eutrochium fistulosum. Plants reach 8-10’ tall and red berries. Good late-season bird food. evergreen fern that holds its fronds upright to occur in only 3 counties, northern Greenvile hybrids of this wild native yellow commonly seen on mowed bear a large loose crowning cluster of showy pink for most of the year. Leaflets (“pinnae”) County being its epicenter. Its seepage habitat is and a European species. Its roadsides in early spring, with blossoms, which attract butterflies, bees and many f Groundnut o are said to resemble Christmas stockings. very threatened, and Travelers Rest is home to a leaves have 3 leaflets, which are hairy tufted seeds spread by wind. other nectar feeders. Leaves are arranged in whorls. Apios americana. Perennial leguminous vine with 180-acre Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve. toothed; the flowers are white; its pinnately compound leaves (5-7 leaf- Ebony Spleenwort o g fruit is red and quite sweet when ripe! Hemp Dogbane, f New York lets), dense clusters of interesting Asplenium platyneuron. Fronds vaguely Common Cattail o k Indian Hemp o g Ironweed o burgundy flowers, similar to those of Christmas Fern, but smaller Typha latifolia. The male flowers at tips of young Tick-trefoils, Beggar’s Lice o g Apocynum cannabinum. Mature Vernonia noveboracensis. and edible bean B (and without stalks are high in protein and good in pancakes; female Desmodium spp. Small pink pea-like flowers give rise stems commonly red and with Tall (3-6’) perennial with pods and under- “Christmas stock- flowers below can be steamed and eaten like corn on the cob. to racemes of small fruits covered with dense hooked long tough fibers that Native alternate leaves, topped ground tubers. ings”), its fertile hairs which can stick to clothing, pets, etc., as a seed Americans twisted into cord- with clusters of intensely fronds rigidly up- l Duck Potato o Sagittaria latifolia. dispersal strategy. Common in forest edges. age. A milkweed relative, with milky sap. purple blooms. Moist sites. Butterfly-pea(s)oo g right. Evergreen. Also known as Broadleaf Arrowhead, Centrosema virginianum (A) & this has arrow-shaped leaves and Toothed Spurge o g Milkweed o g Clitoria mariana (B). Two very similar viny perennial Sensitive Fern o stalks of small white 3-petaled Euphorbia dentata. A cousin to our Christmas Asclepias spp. Milkweed flowers produce copi- Boneset Eupatorium spp. o g legumes. Both have large (to 1.5”) light purple to A Onoclea sensibilis. flowers. Indigenous Poinsettias. Flowers are small greenish ous amounts of nectar and are very popular Hyssopleaf Boneset, Roundleaf Boneset and blue pea flowers, butCentrosema Sensitive to cold, not to peoples used its under- cup-shaped structures called cyathia, and with pollinating insects. Its toxic alkaloids Late-flowering Boneset are some of the Bonesets forms long (to 5”) flattened beanlike touch, this is sometimes confused with Netted water tubers as food. leaves surrounding them may provide protection to those insects that have on the Trail. The name comes from its use as a pods and long climbing vines. Clitoria’s pods are Chain Fern. They both prefer wettish places. be splashed with color, looking adapted to feed on it, such as the Monarch folk medicine to reduce shorter, and it tends to trail not climb. Little Sweet Betsy Trillium o like flower petals. Mildly toxic butterfly (for which it is the fevers, especially flu’s f Netted Chain Fern o Trillium cuneatum. Several Trillium species milky sap oozes from a torn leaf or cut stem. primary host plant). At least 2 “bonebreak” fevers. f Greenbrier o Woodwardia areolata. Pinnae (the frond’s occur in the Upstate, all with just 3 leaves, species are found on the Trail. Smilax spp. There are several Smilax divisions) of Sensitive Fern tend to be opposite, 3 sepals, and 3 petals. Plants are usually 5-7 years old before they f Orange Jewelweed o Impatiens capensis. f Daisy species on the SRT that are very spiny; others wavy-edged, and blunt, whereas those of Netted Chain Fern are more flower and may live over 100 years. Also called “Touch-me-not”, because ripe seeds explode Fleabane o have only a few spines. They can climb high into out of its seed pods when touched. Flowers have a large f Oldfield Toadflax o often alternate, pointy-tipped, and with straightish margins. Nuttallanthus canadensis, Linaria canadensis. That lavender Erigeron annuus & E. trees and form impenetrable barriers. nectar-laden spur in back and are pollinated by hum- f Solomon’s Seal o mist hovering low across a field in April might, upon closer strigosus. Two very similar old field annuals, 2-3’ tall Polygonatum biflorum. Solomon Seal’s mingbirds and bees. Closely related to garden Impatiens. inspection, prove to be a swath of small plants with numerous nickel-sized composite flower heads. f o spreading leaves almost hide the bell-like Muscadine GRASSES (that someone thought resembled flax) with Muscadinia rotundifolia (Vitis rotundifolia). flowers that dangle from its arching stem. f Swamp Rose-mallow o tiny purplish flowers (that someone thought Frost Aster Symphyotrichum pilosum The source of much good wine and jelly, as well Hibiscus moscheutos. Can grow very tall in sunny wet River Oats, Fish-on-a-line o resembled toads). S. lateriflorum as an important wildlife food, this native grape places. Large showy flowers with 5 white petals and a & Calico Aster o Chasmanthium latifolium. The name Fish- Pokeweed o m Similar to the daisy fleabanes, but peren- is usually dark purple when ripe, sweet but with Phytolacca americana. Grows to 6’ tall, red/purple center. Hummers and bees enjoy their nectar. on-a-line comes from the resemblance nial, with fewer, wider rays and smaller tough skin. Fruit of the Scuppernong variety (the with fleshy red stems and large leaves. Allegheny Monkey-flower o g of its flower head to a stringer of Mimulus ringens. The lavender flowers have a disks than those of fleabanes. state fruit of NC) is greenish or bronze when ripe. Its glossy black berries with deep perch. A relative of the Sea Oats Dooryard Violet o g small upper lip and larger lower lip, giving them Other native grapes red juice are relished by birds and Viola sororia. Also called Common Blue Violet. found on sea-side dunes. a “monkey face” appearance; in fact, the name (Vitis spp.) also oc- spread widely. Toxic to humans. Flower color varies from solid dark purple even to f Tall Goldenrod o Mimulus is derived from the Solidago altissima. Tall Goldenrod (South Carolina’s offi- cur on the Trail. white, and the 2 side petals have delicate hairs at Yellow Indiangrass o Sorghastrum nutans. Latin “mimus” for comic actor or cal state wildflower) is the Goldenrod most often seen their base (beards). Heart-shaped leaves grow in An important species of the tall-grass prairies f Spatterdock, mime! A wetland plant, to 3-4’ tall. on the Trail. Goldenrods are often accused of causing o rosettes from underground stems (rhizomes). Passionflower, Maypop of the Midwest, this is SC’s official state Yellow Pond Lily o hay fever, but the guilty party is the inconspicuous wind- Passiflora incarnata. A perennial vine grass. It is found in every county in the state. Nuphar advena. A water plant with Carolina Wild Petunia o g pollinated Ragweed, which blooms at the same time. with large lobed leaves, best known small, ball-like, bright yellow flowers just Johnny-jump-up, Ruellia caroliniensis. This 1-2’ tall perennial for its large (to 3”), elaborately ornate Splitbeard Bluestem o i above floating heart-shaped leaves, Wild Pansy o g has lavender, funnel-shaped flowers. Often flowers and its melon-like fruit. Andropogon ternarius. You’ve probably seen which Native Americans used for dye Viola bicolor. In spring, this native violet ap- found in medium to dry soils at woods edge. its silvery seedheads along roadsides in early and to stop cuts from bleeding. pears to “jump-up” overnight! Small flowers Virginia Creeper o g fall. A closer look reveals with 5 pale blue petals grow from tips of upright Cardinal Flower o Parthenocissus quinquefolia. Often mistaken for stems that range in color Bloodroot o g stalks that bend at the top. Leaves deeply Lobelia cardinalis. Look for Poison Ivy, though its leaves have 5 leaflets, not from green to red to blue.