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Have you found a plant that you can't identify? We can help! Send us a photo of the plant along with the other information listed below. We'll let the experts take a look at it and post the results (or an educated guess) on this page!
You may also want to check Name That Plant (www.namethatplant.net), a native plant identification website created by SC Native Plant Society member Janie Marlow. Rules for submitting your inquiry:
Send mail to: Steven Hill, PO Box 3188, Champaign, IL 61826-3188, or e-mail Steve at srhill50@msn.com. Please place "SCNPS Plant ID" in the subject line. You will receive an e-mail response from Dr. Hill but not all submissions will be posted on the website. Dr. Steven R. Hill is a botanist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Formerly the Curator of the Clemson University Herbarium (1987-1994), he is still a member of SCNPS, a land owner in Oconee County, and he plans to retire in South Carolina. Recent Submissions:
June 17, 2010 Dear Dr. Hill, I was vacationing early this June in Edisto Island, SC. While there, I took a day trip to Botany Bay Plantation WMA. Along the side of the dirt road leading out to the beach, I found these shrubs growing about 4-6 ft high. They were surrounded by marsh, out in full sun. The branching and leaf structure remind me of juniper, yet I was struck by the clusters of tiny pink flowers growing at the branch ends. Can you tell me what shrub this is? Is it native to the area? Thanks for your time, Hi Stephanie, I had to chuckle a bit when I saw your photograph - and I will explain in a moment. This is a very pretty plant, and it was introduced as an ornamental. Some people also introduced it as a means to drain excess water because it does so like a sponge. It is a tamarisk - and they are actually rather difficult to identify to species - but the one in SC is usually called Tamarix gallica, the French tamarisk. Someone has reported Tamarisk africana, the African tamarisk, in SC, as well as Tamarix canariensis, and Tamarix ramosissima - the saltcedar - which is actually another likely choice for your plant. They are very salt and drought tolerant, and the roots penetrate deeply. Now, back to my chuckle, this is usually considered to be a noxious weed because it can get out of hand and is sometimes impossible to get rid of. The roots penetrate incredibly deeply, and even burning will not destroy the plant. also it spreads easily. In the western states, it has colonized some of the rare creeks in dry areas and soaked up all the water, causing environmental disasters. I know many western botanists and landowners who curse it - and certainly the Nature Conservancy hates it. At least 11 states have declared Tamarix ramosissima a noxious weed, and have quarantined it. See this link: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TARA Only 5 states have declared Tamarix gallica a noxious weed, but that is still plenty. None of the Tamarisk are native to North America, and they are in their own family - the Tamaricaceae or Tamarisk family: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarix Thank you for bringing it to my attention, because it is a good plant to know. All the best, May 17, 2010
Dear Steve, I have been searching all over the internet trying to identify this unusual vine growing on top of a fairly sunny small hill in Central SC, not too far from Clemson. The long slender black seed pods are what really got my attention. I broke open one of the pods, finding 12 small and very hard round black seeds. Thank you for your time. -Stephen Hi Steve, You have one of the introduced vetches there, a legume, and based on my years of living in Central (my former home) it is probably Vicia grandiflora Scopoli, which has relatively large creamy-yellow flowers earlier in the Spring. there is also a lot of this between Anderson and Clemson and all around Walhalla. It has its beans on it now. You can find out a lot more about it here: http://www.missouriplants.com/Others/Vicia_grandiflora_page.html http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=VIGR I hope this helps!
May 9, 2010 There is a tree I cannot identify. A Clemson professor looked at it once and said he thought it was an Ash, but could not tell me the name of the tree. I've seen this tree only at the base of Tamassee Knob in Oconee County . This one is in a depressed area, others near a stream, and a larger one further up the hill.One is covered by something that makes the tree look black about halfway up. Fungus? (No picture of that one today.) There may be more trees further up Tamassee Knob. I could not get a picture of the entire tree as this area is deeply wooded. We have seen what looks like a cluster of yellow flowers (fragrant) on the tree but it isn't blooming now. This tree is at least 80 feet tall. The underside of the leaves look frosted from below, and the stems of the new growth is fuzzy. Thank you for your time. Mozelle L. Dear Mozelle, I agree with the Clemson professor - that it is an ash. Specifically, I would call it Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. pennsylvanica, usually called Red ash. The other variety, var. subintegerrima, the Green ash, unlike yours, has no hairs on the leaves or leaf stalks. However, many people consider both the same species and will often call both Green ash. Here are some links to more information: http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Fraxinus+pennsylvanica In my experience, this ash does not like very acidic soils, so it is not as common in South Carolina forests as it is in the midwest and elsewhere where it can be abundant. That is probably the reason for the limited distribution in your area. When seen, it is usually in the more mesic coves such as at Tamassee Knob or Station Falls, and usually near floodplains or moist areas. The flowers are not fragrant and are usually green - see pictures on the internet. It is possible that you saw the flowers of something else, but I cannot tell. The trees are either male or female - the male flowers look a bit like clumps of fungi on early spring branches, the female flowers are green and whispy and look nothing like the male flowers. Believe it or not, ash is related to the olive tree - Oleaceae. I hope that this helps! Sincerely,
May 5, 2010 Hi Steven, Is this animal, vegetable or mineral? I know you can help! Terry K. Hi Terry, The answer is BOTH. This is an oak gall, possibly the Wool sower gall, on an oak. These are growths caused by the presence of the larva of a small wasp [harmless to us], and this one may be from a Cynipid Wasp, Callirhytis seminator. There is one exactly like yours on this blog page: http://www.roundrockjournal.com/?p=607 and this one, also the same, has more information, including information about the wasp: http://www.backyardnature.net/galls.htm. So, I hope this helps! I have seen these also in SC, but this particular one is very widespread, apparently wherever white oaks grow in the US & Canada. Thanks for asking! I like a challenge! Sincerely,
May 3, 2010 A beautiful plant I have enjoyed now for more than a month of blooming pink flowers, right down to the end of the stem and LOTS more to come. Located on the south side of my house, gets sun mostly all day long. We are in Charleston SC , the lowcountry or coastal south as we're called...........can you identify this plant for me? I bought it last year, not familiar with it (& usually keep the tag, but failed this time).........I have had SO MANY compliments on it and embarassed to say "I don't know" when asked WHAT IS IT? PLEEZ, can you help me? If not, could you, would you refer me to a site than can. Thanks, Cheryl M., Hi Cheryl, Your plant appears to be Gaura lindheimeri - a nice plant native mostly to Texas and surrounding areas - but it has become very popular in cultivation. It is often called "Pink Gaura, Wand Flower, or Bee blossom" and it is in the evening primrose family [Onagraceae]. Most of the wild forms have white flowers that turn pink later - but the cultivars have pink flowers from the start. South Carolina has a native species as well - Gaura coccinea - which is similar but not as compact. I'm not sure where the fine pink cultivars were developed - but probably in Texas. You can find out more about it here: There are several selected garden cultivars of this now. I hope this helps! This is a nice garden plant to be sure. Sincerely, Steve Hill - SCNPS
May 1, 2010 Hello Mr. Hill I am hoping you might be able to identify the following plant. We reside in Tega Cay, SC and the last couple of years we have noticed this vine climbing up one of our pine trees in the backyard. It only blooms for a short period of time (beginning of spring) and then disappears as the heat rises. This picture was taken on April 18th, 2010 Thank you, Hi Danita, Your plant is a beautiful native vine called Crossvine, named because of a cross-shaped stem center, and its scientific name is Bignonia capreolata L. Unlike the related Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) this is a much more delicate and non-invasive vine, but the flowers do not last very long. Still, they are attractive, making this a nice vine to have around. It can be grown as a cultivated plant as long as it has something to climb on. It normally will not flower unless the top of the plant has some direct sunlight. In complete shade it remains short and does not bloom. You can find out more about this vine here: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BICA I hope that this helps, and thank you for your interest in SCNPS! Sincerely, Steve Hill [SCNPS]
April 28, 2010 These pictures were taken on April 26 on a sand hill in Aiken County, SC. The area the plant is located in is on the edge of a small field which I have control burned for the last four years. I am observant when out and about and have never seen a plant quite like this. There is nothing in the picture to reference it's height, it's about a foot tall and propped up with a small pine limb for the photo. Brett Hi Brett, Your plant is in the bean family, Fabaceae, and I usually call it Baptisia leucophaea Nutt., but it has been recently re-named as Baptisia bracteata Muhl. var. leucophaea (Nutt.) Kartesz & Gandhi. Common names vary, and include Longbract wild indigo, Buffalo pea false indigo, and Creamy wild indigo. It does seem to benefit from controlled burns. You can find more information about it at: http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BABRL2 http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellowalt/Baptisia_leucophaea_page.html http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/bap.bra.htm It is a fine wildflower, native, and it is sometimes grown in gardens. At least one cultivar has been produced. The fruits resemble small bladders, and are also interesting. The plant is not edible, however. Thanks for your interest! April 21, 2010 Dr. Hill, I am a fiction writer and South Carolina native working on a story about a man who traffics in poisonous fruits. I'm wondering if there are any tree fruits toxic to humans that grow in the Lowcountry? Thanks so much. I hope all is well. Jeffrey Rotter Jeffrey, Before I answer, out of curiosity, can you tell me to what purpose the 'person' is trafficing in poisonous fruits? Does it have to be only the lowcountry or can it be all the way up to the blue ridge? I'm sure I can come up with some ideas for you. If possible, let me know if cultivated plants are okay, and if it is only fruits, or perhaps some other plant parts as well. It makes a BIG difference. Complicated, no? --Steve Hill Very complicated. And don't worry, you will not be an accessory to a crime. (Here's a review of my novel in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/books/review/Salvatore-t.html?_r=1) My protagonist runs a business in Awendaw pruning and caring for fruit trees, mostly in private gardens. He wants to exact revenge on a client. Has to be fruit, has to be Lowcountry, preferably trees, cultivated plants are great. The toxin doesn't have to be deadly. In fact, if it has a peculiar effect, all the better. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Jeff Dear Jeff, Believe it or not, there are not a large number of fruits in the lowcountry that would kill someone outright - and it also involves quantity. I am including some possibilities below:
In many of the species, the fruit is not the most poisonous part. Moonseed is in the same family as strychnos - a source of strychnine; apples and the others related are a source of cyanide - as are others such as black locust - one of the most common poisoning agents. Most others are alkaloids. Check these out on the web for more details. Plants are usually not as effective as drugs and things like arsenic... or guns. I'd be pleased to hear what you end up with - if you care to share. I hope this helps! Sincerely, Steve Hill [ South Carolina Native Plant Society]
April 19, 2010 Hi Dr. Hill: I came upon a colony of trillium in the Wateree River swamp while turkey hunting over this past weekend. I have attached a couple of photos and hope that you can assist in identification. Thanks for your consideration. Bob Griffeth Dear Bob, You really have me stumped on this one, and Trilliums are among my favorite plants! I will share the images with others and see if we can come up with something. I have been through the book Trilliums by Fred and Roberta Case (1997) and can find no match. Likewise I have tried to match it in John Freeman's monograph on this group of sessile-flowered Trilliums published in the journal Brittonia in 1975. The flowers have the general aspect of Trillium viridescens, but that occurs nowhere near South Carolina . The leaves do not appear to have any mottling, and essentially all of the sessile-flowered Trilliums I know in the Carolinas do. Based on range, it could be a lime-green petal form of Trillium maculatum, but even that does not fit, especially regarding the lack of leaf mottling. If I am interpreting your images correctly, your plants have recurved sepals - the sepals are found vertically below the leaves. there are only two species known with this characteristic - Trillium recurvatum and Trillium lancifolium. These are related. Trillium recurvatum, the Prairie trillium, has short petals about twice as long as wide, but its southeastern limit is in central Tennessee - and it really does not resemble your plant - except for the stamens. Trillium lancifolium is in South Carolina , but is very rare - known only in Kershaw and McCormick counties, I believe. It has very narrow, heavily mottled leaves, but it does have the longer narrower petals of your plant. Again, it does not look like your images. That leads us to the possibility that your plants may be a new species of Trillium - but I think that someone will correct me! I would like to post your images and email on our website for other opinions as well as sending the images around to some other botanists, and I will try to get an answer to you. I hope you will record or mark where you found this in case it needs to be examined further by botanists. Please protect this information and do not allow anyone to disturb the plants! I may be showing my ignorance here, but I think this could be a very exciting discovery! More as it develops... Sincerely, ADDENDUM: Well, we were 2 years too late on this! Chick Gaddy had already recognized it as a new species, and the comments in his paper could as easily have been mine! I did not know about this new species, but thanks to Alan Weakley, I sure do now! This is the Wateree Trillium, recently described by Chick Gaddy as Trillium oostingii. Chick wrote the following in an email: The Wateree trillium, Trillium oostingii Gaddy, will be published in December of this year. Gaddy, L. L. . 2008. A new sessile-flowered Trillium (Liliaceae: Subgenus Phyllantherum) from South Carolina. Phytologia 90(3):374-382. I have named this species Trillium oostingii for Henry J. Oosting, late professor of botany and ecology at Duke University. Dr. Oosting found this plant on Big Pine Tree Creek, Kershaw County, South Carolina, in April of 1937. A specimen was placed in the Duke University herbarium where it lay in relative obscurity. As far as I can tell, the plant was not seen in the wild by another botanist for 65 years, until I stumbled over it in 2002. Six years and a lot of fieldwork and research later, it is now officially a new species. It is presently known only from Kershaw and Richland Counties. I appreciate the kindness and consideration of the private landowners and land managers who allowed me access to their lands in search of this plant. And I also would like to thank all who read and commented on the paper while it was in draft. Finally, this paper would have been a much lesser work without the assistance of Susan Farmer and Gerald Smith, who, respectively, did DNA and chromosome analyses of the plant. Thanks to all. Alan Weakley, Curator and Adjunct Assistant Professor See attached PDF file: The Wateree trillium, Trillium oostingii Gaddy, will be published in December of this year. Gaddy, L. L. 2008. A new sessile-flowered Trillium (Liliaceae: Subgenus Phyllantherum) from South Carolina. Phytologia 90(3):374-382.
March 31, 2010 Dr. Hill: I have been curious about this plant in my yard. I thought it was a mock orange but a friend of mine says it is not. She has a mock orange and it is not the same blossom. They are in bloom in Columbia , SC now and I have seen several around the neighborhood. The one in my yard, of which I am sending you the pictures, is in a part shade spot. Others I have seen in sunny locations are much fuller. Any ideas what this is? Thanks! Linda McDonald Hi Linda! Your flowering shrub is a non-native ornamental in the Rose family - named Exochorda racemosa, the Common Pearlbush. It does look a lot like Philadelphus but has flowers in short racemes, which Philadelphus [Mock orange] does not. There is a slight chance that it is a different species of Exochorda, but E. racemosa is the one I usually see and this seems to be it. It only rarely escapes from cultivation. You can see pictures and find out more about it at these sites: Your images were great - the flower closeups especially. I might not have gotten it otherwise - the wide green receptacle in the middle of the flower is also distinctive. Thanks for your interest! Sincerely, Steve Hill
March 9, 2010 Dr. Hill, I photographed this flower at Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve in Lancaster County, SC in May 09. It was growing under a cedar tree at the edge of the large rock area; I saw only two blooms. I thought I would be able to identify it easliy because of its unique structure, but so far I have been unable to do so. Can you help? I plan to search for it again this spring. Best regards, Dear Bill, This one REALLY threw me! I sent it to Dr. Alan Weakley, University of North Carolina, upon whom I rely in very difficult cases, and he 'nailed' it. I was thinking 'flower' because of your message, and I could think of no flower that resembled this. Dr. Weakley came back with the name Krigia virginica, the common Dwarf dandelion, and that blew me away, because what you photographed is a fruit cluster - not a flower - unusual because it has 5 scales that look like petals and 5 symmetrical capillary hairs that look like elongated stigmas on the top of each fruit. It is interesting how the mind works - I did not even consider that this could be a fruit - so I missed it. One truly must 'think outside the box'. The Dwarf dandelion is a native annual, and it has a small yellow head of flowers that looks just like the common dandelion, but everything is smaller [leaves, flowers, plant]. It is very common in the state, and likes thin soils that have been disturbed, like those on granite outcrops, but also in many other habitats. You can find out more about it here: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=KRVI Thanks for the challenge - and please keep photographing these beautiful small natural objects and sharing them with us! Sincerely,
Dr. Hill, This plant is growing under a huge oak tree . It grows straight up on a single stalk. Flowers are on the very top. Look similar to Fusha. We haven't found it anywhere else on our place. We have About 36 acres. No one around here can tell us about it. Comes back every year from seed. We live between Gillisonville and Grays, SC off of Grays Hwy. (Hwy 278). Can you tell me what it is? Catherine Hi Catherine, Your plant is Clerodendrum indicum, the Tubeflower, a non-native plant occasionally grown in southern gardens. It can rarely become invasive, but not usually in the Carolinas because it is not very hardy here. I have seen it only in Florida. Here is a link to a site that explains a great deal about the plant: http://www.floridata.com/ref/c/cler_ind.cfm. I consider it a desireable plant because it can attract interesting night-flying sphinx moths to pollinate it. I'm not certain how common the plant is today in the Carolinas, but it has been reported from South Carolina. Perhaps Dr. Weakley can fill us in on that. I hope this helps ! Thank you for your interest. Sincerely,
Hi Dr. Hill, This tree has been growing in our yard in Oconee Co., SC since before 1992 and I've not been able to identify it. The bark seems to be its most distinctive feature with those nodules. There are two examples near each other. Maybe it's a common tree with some sort of disease? Bob H. Hi, Bob, Thank you for the additional images. I am rather sure that your tree is Celtis occidentalis var. georgiana (Small) Ahles, using the terminology in the older Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. Many now put this variant within the common hackberry, Celtis occidentalis, such as this one: http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3886 It has also been included within the species Celtis tenuifolia Nutt., as it is here: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CETE and it has been placed into various families, including Celtidaceae and Cannabaceae, but I still accept it as a member of the Elm family, Ulmaceae, its traditional placement. A good summary of the tree is here: http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_ceoc.pdf I am copying this reply to Dr. Weakley and Bert Pittman who may wish to update my nomenclature, or who may wish to correct my identification - but it seems an excellent match to me. As I mentioned in my first reply, this bark is not diseased - it shows an unusual and characteristic secondary growth on certain parts of the outside bark, the cork cambium, producing these odd annual rings. In age, these corky outgrowths will grow together producing a thick corky bark rather resistant to fires. Thanks again for your interest! Sincerely,
June 1, 1009 Please help identify this plant. My dad called them hackberry, but I think he was wrong? Sparkleberry maybe? They have edible blackish berries in the fall. As always, THANKS. Hi, Wesley! While the fruits are a little similar, this is not hackberry. Sparkleberry is correct, Vaccinium arboreum Marshall. The urn-shaped flowers are often a marker for its family, the Heath family, or Ericaceae. The fruits are not very tasty, though it is a close relative of the edible blueberries, also in this genus. The leaves always seem to be shiny and leathery. These shrubs usually like dry open woodlands. You can find out lots more about it at these sites: It is an attractive shrub, also great in native plant landscaping. Thanks for asking! Cordially,
May 16, 2009 Hello Steve - My husband and I just got back from a camping trip at Jones Gap (Greenville County, SC). I notice this flower near a camp site (wooded area, on hill side) that looks something like a Canada Mayflower. Is it? Thanks, Pam J. Hi, Pam, You are close - it is also in the lily family like Canada mayflower. Your plant is Clintonia umbellulata, the Speckled Wood-lily, a very nice wildflower found only in the Appalachian mountains from Virginia to South Carolina . It likes lots of moist humus and shade, and it usually grows in colonies. You can find out more about it here: I hope this helps - and thanks for asking! Sincerely, Steve Hill SCNPS
May 11, 2009 Steve, I have a plant I have never seen before. I found it on the creek bank near my house. It appears to be a creeping plant with a white cross shaped flower about 1/2" in diameter. The flower is hairy. Thanks for your help. Wesley P. Hi Wesley, Your plant is called Partridgeberry, and its scientific name is Mitchella repens. It is actually in the plant family Rubiaceae, the same plant family as coffee. It is an evergreen vine usually found climbing over rocks or on dry banks in shade, as it cannot stand being covered by leaves all winter - it photosynthesizes, as most evergreens, in the winter as well as the rest of the year. You can find out lots more about this plant at these sites: Thanks for asking! Sincerely,
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Trillium oostingii, 
