South Carolina Natives

I'm interested in planting native plants for our landscaping.  Anyone had any success is going all native?

Absolutely Thomas...well, all native...not exactly sure what you mean, but, if it grows here, and doesn't die from heat and dry in the summer and from frost and cold in the winter then I guess it can be native!

Happy planting,
Isabel

Good for you in trying to go all native!  I could not honestly say that I have had success in doing that, yet, as I'm just starting out (am building a home from scratch, which is not even finished yet, but trying to get a start on the landscaping at the same time).  But I will let you know how it turns out!  My own commitment is that if it doesn't grow food for me, then I will only use natives.  All-native vegetable gardening seemed just too restrictive to consider, but that still means any and all ornamentals and my "yard" as well - all native.  Which means a meadow, instead of a yard.  In my quest to achieve this, I stumbled onto the South Carolina Native Plant Society.  Good people with a lot of help and advice to give, so see if there is a chapter near you.  My chapter here go on seed collecting forays frequently, and if you volunteer to help with the plant sale fundraisers you will likely get first pick at the plants!  The one solid piece of advise I can give is that when if comes to establishing an all-native meadow, patience is the key - you should expect to take 3 or 4 years to really get it going.  So I am told, and after just one year's attempt so far, I can see what they mean.

e-mail sent. I have property in sunset,SC and growing very leafy vegetables,heirloom tomatoes and Ga variate of blueberries w/success..

Living Wind , can you tell me what variety of blueberries you are growing?

rabbiteye,highbush...what part of sc are you in?

peace -

it all depends on your area, but some SC natives I know off the bat would be:

Pawpaw, Persimmon, Pecans, Black Walnut, Hickory, Blueberries, American Ginseng, Sunchokes, Blackberries, and Yaupon Holly (great tea)

Again, depends on your area.

@Cactusdan - I thought Yaupon hollies made one vomit. How does one make tea from them?

Yaupon berries can make you vomit. You make tea from the leaves that have been dried.

Matthew Nistico wrote:@Cactusdan - I thought Yaupon hollies made one vomit. How does one make tea from them?

I have a background in Colonial American history, focusing on aboriginal history and material culture. I have prepared Yaupon many times as a public demonstration The taxonomical name vomitoria comes from a misunderstanding by early botanists of the effects of the yaupon plant. This plant was consumed in large (gallon) quantities by leaders and warriors while fasting. The empty stomach, rapidly filled with hot, caffein-rich liquid was irritated, and manually purged. This process was repeated over the course of a few days.

Yaupon makes a fine tea. Roast it like coffee, dandelion, etc and boil it until black to simulate the indigenous method of preparation (which also included other herbs not relevant to this commentary) and create a beverage stronger than espresso. Boil less long for less 'zip'.
For more information:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/black-drink-a-native-american-tea/oclc/3933309&referer=brief_results

Cheers,
Joseph