- Cattailsthree cattails image by Derek Abbott from Fotolia.com
The weather in South Carolina includes plenty of sunshine during the long days of summer and plenty of cool during the winter. The average temperatures range in the mid 50s in the mountains to low 60s and 70s along the coast in summer. In winter the temperatures range from the mid 30s in the mountains to low 50s in the lower elevations. The mild climate is host to a number of plants and flowers including asters, blue funnel lily, Carolina anemone, columbine, swamp sunflower, mist flower, lady fern, prickly pear, cattails, and smooth alder. - Asters are daisy like flowers that bloom in a wide variety of yellow centered shades including purple, blue, mauve, pink, white and red. Asters are carefree flowers that thrive in full sun or part shade and an average, fertile soil. Most asters grow to a height of 3 to 4 feet tall. New England asters, or Hardy asters, are found in abundance in South Carolina in the wet meadows, thickets, low fields, and the moist grounds along streams.
- Carolina anemone, or Anemone caroliniana, is a native plant of the dry prairies. The plant is 10 to 14 inches tall and bears flowers in shades of white, purple, and blue between late winter and early spring. Though Carolina anemone grows in South and North Carolina the plant is more common in the west. It is an easy to grow plant and the foliage emerges from the summer dormant tubers.
- Carolina Jessamine or gelsemium sempervirens, is the official state flower of South Carolina. The plant is a native evergreen vine that bears clusters of small bright yellow flowers in winter and spring. The leaves are dark green and lance shaped. Carolina Jessamine is commonly found as a ground cover in woodlands and is often seen climbing up to the top of small sized trees. Planted in the right location, the vine thrives for many years.
- Cattails, or typha augustifolia, is also known as reedmace, miniature reedmace, and bulrush. Cattails are aggressive, huge plants that can easily take over large areas. They are best planted in containers as this restricts their tendency to spread. The plants reach a mature height of 2 to 6 feet and bloom tan to brown spikes in summer. Cattails are highly resistant to disease and pests.
- Smooth alder, or alnus serrulata, is a dense small tree with dark green leaves. The tree is often planted near stream banks for ground stabilization due to its flexible stems and fibrous roots. The trees reach a mature height of 8 to 12 feet in about 10 years. Smooth alder is among native South Carolina trees that are used for landscape use.
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