Nature

Kiawah River Field Guide: Botanical Checklist

Any day is better when you notice the flowers—and right now, Kiawah River’s wildflower meadows are in full splendor. There are also many native plants and shrubs that are less showy but just as remarkable. On your next trail walk, look a little closer at the greenery you pass and you’ll spot some of our favorites, listed below. Did you know the Latin names?

Wildflowers

Largeflower Tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora)
Sunny yellow petals, grows in mass 

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Daisy-like with a large cone, lavender-purple petals 

Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)
Tall with clusters of pink-purple flowers 

Blanket flower (Gallardia pulchella)
Carpet of flowers with garnet-red and yellow-gold petals 

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Brown-black center with golden-yellow petals 

Native plants, shrubs 

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)
Spiky palms near the marsh, up to 6-feet high 

Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
High-climbing, yellow-flowering vine 

Sweetgrass (Muhlenbergii capilaris)
Basketmaking grass with pink-purple, fuzzy blooms 

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
Often grows under pines, purple berries in fall 

Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
Glossy green leaves and gray berries, a.k.a. “Southern bayberry”