South Carolina Native Plant Society
Upstate Chapter Activities

Upstate Chapter Meetings, Field Trips & Activities

Upstate Chapter Meetings

Native Plant sale - Greenville
Upstate Chapter meetings are held alternately at Founder's Hall in the Dining Commons at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, and in Multipurpose Room #2 in McAlister Square in Greenville.

  • March 16, 2010 (Tuesday) 7:00 p.m. - Topic is "More Natives in Home Landscapes — Lawn, Meadow, Prairie". You can bring more songbirds into your landscape with modified lawn plantings, meadow and prairie areas, and Bill Stringer will show us native grass and wildflower species that can best contribute in these scenarios. Founder's Hall, Southern Wesleyan University in Central.
  • April 20, 2010 (Tuesday) 7:00 p.m. - Topic is "Discovering American Azaleas" and our speaker is Nick Anastos. Over the past twenty five years, Nick Anastos has enjoyed searching the woods for natural hybrids and "creating" his own special American azaleas. In his talk, Nick will discuss his hybridization process from harvesting and sowing seeds to the pollination of mature plants. The presentation will include images displaying the many different colors of his hybrid azaleas. Multipurpose Room #2 in McAlister Square in Greenville.
  • May 18, 2010 (Tuesday) - 7:00 pm: Topic is "Cast in Stone — Ancient Plants" and our speaker is Christian Cicimurri, Curator of Education at Clemson's Bob Campbell Geology Museum. She will bring a collection of plant fossils and discuss ancient plants. Founders Hall, Southern Wesleyan University, Central.

Upstate Chapter Field Trips & Activities

March 14, 2010 (Sunday) - 2:00 pm Field trip: Upper Chinquapin Greenway, in Spartanburg

Several ecosystems are found in this urban preserve (which is owned by SPACE, Spartanburg County’s only local land trust), from creekside to meadow to pine uplands, where we may see Swamp Tupelo (Nyssa biflora), Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix), and 13 different fern species, as well as Pinellia and a few other invasives. Easy walking, about 2 miles.

Meet at Chinquapin Trail parking area on Graham Rd in Spartanburg, near California Ave (Graham is a frontage road along I-585, across from Milliken Research Center). Register by emailing Eva Pratt, evaoncompton@gmail.com

April 10, 2010 (Saturday) - 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. - Native Plant Sale

Local fauna and flora exist in an intertwined web — some animals feed exclusively on a narrow range of native plants, while many insects are important pollinators that also serve as food sources for birds and other animals. And when native plants are sited correctly they have the advantage of having adapted over 1000s of years to local soil types, pests, and climate conditions.

Experts will help you choose the right plant for the right place, increasing your chances of success while reducing your consumption of water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Dr. Jan Haldeman of Erskine College will display and provide information about commonly sold non-native species that are invasive in our region.

We need volunteers to put on labels, move plants to the site, set up the day before the sale, guide buyers, remove labels, and load plants. Please help make the sale a success!

Call Susan Lochridge at 288- 5590, or e-mail her at needlespirits@charter.net

Plant sale location: Greenville Tech McAlister Square Campus parking lot at the Antrim Drive entrance. LOCATION MAP (.pdf file)

Native Plant Sale Flyer

April 17, 2010 (Saturday) - Field Trip: Ninety Six National Historic Site, Greenwood County

Join Rusty Wilson, Master Naturalist and NPS member, on an outing to one of his favorite places, “a Piedmont jewel.” Some plants we’ll see include Cardamine bulbosa (bulbous bittercress), Fraseri caroliniensis (columbo), and possibly a Matelea species (anglepod or milkvine). We will probably walk a minimum of 4 miles and will be offtrail on uneven terrain for much of the walk: into the floodplain, across a creek, and onto a north-facing bluff overlooking the creek.

Bring good walking shoes and be prepared to get your feet wet! The site is located 2 miles south of downtown Ninety Six on Hwy 248. Details to come. To register, call Janine McCreery at 864- 238-3253 and tell her your name, phone number, email address, and which outing. Limited to 20 participants. Preference given to paid-up NPS members.

April 17, 2010 (Saturday) - Field Trip: Leigh Fibers Nature Trail, Spartanburg County

Check out the possible state champion holly! with Lamar Nelson, who has established this pleasant area near Wellford. Details to follow.

April 20, 2010 (Tuesday) - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Earth Fest

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! NPS will host a booth at Greenville Tech’s Earth Fest on the Barton Campus, l620 S. Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville.

April 21, 2010 (Wednesday) - Field Trip with local naturalist Dennis Chastain in northern Pickens County

Several lovely rich spring sites are under consideration at this point, including a cove near Wild Hog Branch in Jocassee Gorges, the headwaters section of Cane Creek, and Side-of-the-Mountain Creek on the old RR bed of the Appalachian Lumber Co. Stay tuned for details. To register, call Janine McCreery at 864- 238-3253 and tell her your name, phone number, email address, and which outing. Limited to 20 participants. Preference given to paid-up NPS members.

May 22, 2010 (Saturday) - 10:00 am: Field trip to Woodruff School District Cross-Country Trail, in Spartanburg County

See the northern-most population of the sweet-smelling May White Azalea (Rhododendron eastmanii) in bloom, and more, guided by Newberry College’s Dr Charles Horn. Details to follow.
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