Native SC Plants Beneficial to Wildlife
Large Evergreen Trees - Large Deciduous Trees - Small Evergreen Trees - Small Deciduous Trees
Evergreen Shrubs - Deciduous Shrubs - Vines - Perennials, Shade - Perennials, Sun - Ferns - Grasses
Trees, evergreen ≥ 50’
American Holly, Ilex opaca - fruits eaten by bluebird, robin, mockingbird, larvae plant for Henry’s elfin butterfly
Cabbage Palmetto, Sabal palmetto (SC state Tree) - fruits eaten by robins and raccoons
Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana - fruits eaten by cedar waxwing, purple finch, bluebird, nesting for hummingbird, warblers, doves, larvae plant for great purple hairstreak butterflies
Live Oak, Quercus virginiana - warblers’ spring migration, acorns eaten by squirrels, turkeys, nuthatch
Longleaf Pine, Pinus - nesting for red-cockaded woodpecker
Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora - seeds eaten by yellow-bellied sapsucker, red-cockaded woodpecker
Trees, deciduous ≥ 50’
American Beech, Fagus grandifolia - nuts eaten by blue jay, chickadee, titmouse, nesting for pileated woodpecker
Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum - seeds eaten by ducks and Sandhill cranes
River Birch, Betula nigra - seeds eaten by chickadee, finch, tanager, grouse, nuthatch, used for nesting
Blackgum Tree, Nyssa sylvatica - bee tree, seeds eaten by wood duck, bluebirds, purple/yellow finch, opossum
Sweetbay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana - seeds eaten by yellow-bellied sapsucker, red-eyed vireo, red-cockaded woodpecker, host for swallowtail butterflies
Oaks, Quercus species - acorns winter staple for titmouse, turkey, woodpecker, Carolina wren (SC state Bird), larvae plant, nesting, cover
Red Maple, Southern Sugar, Acer species - sap used by yellow-bellied sapsucker, nesting/food for warblers, chickadee, purple finch, grosbeak, bobwhite
Basswood/Linden, Tilia americana - nectar plant, larval plant for red-spotted purple and mourning cloak
Tulip Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera - flowers visited by hummingbirds, orchard orioles; seeds eaten by cardinals.
Trees, evergreen 15’ to 40’
Devilwood Osmanthus, Osmanthus americana - Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals
Wax Myrtle, Myrica cerifera - Fruits eaten by swallow, bluebird, warbler, 13 other species of birds
Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria - Larval plant for Henry’s Elfin butterfly, seeds eaten by Cedar waxwing, mockingbird and other songbirds
Trees, deciduous 15’ to 40’
Alder, Alnus serrulata - fruits eaten by many species of birds
Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus - fruits eaten by bluebird, thrasher, finch, vireo & 75 other species of birds
Dogwood, Cornus florida - seeds eaten by yellow-bellied sapsucker, towhee, and vireo
Hophornbeam/ironwood, Ostrya virginiana - seeds eaten by finch, woodpecker, mockingbird, used for nesting
Musclewood, Carpinus caroliniana - larval plant for tiger swallowtail, fruits by small mammals and wood duck
Paw Paw, Asimina triloba - larval plant for zebra swallowtail, fruits by small mammals
Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana - fruits eaten by many mammals, bees, butterflies
Redbud, Cercis Canadensis - flowers by honey bees, seeds by birds
Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia - flowers used by hummingbirds, bees
Red Mulberry, Morus rubra - fruits eaten by many species of birds
Sassafras, Sassafras albidium - nectar for butterflies
Service Berry, Amelanchier species - nectar for butterflies fruits eaten by scarlet tanager, bluebird and others
Sourwood, Oxydendron arboreum - seed eaten by songbird, turkey, grouse, flowers by bees (honey), butterflies
Sumac, Rhus species - fruits eaten by mockingbird, robin, thrasher, red-eyed vireo, cardinal
Titi/Swamp Cyrilla, Cyrilla racemiflora - nectar plant, cover
Walters Viburnum, Viburnum obovatum - nectar, butterflies, fruits, mammals, birds
Arrowwood Viburnum, Viburnum dentatum - fruits eaten by fox, chipmunk, bluebird, cedar waxwing, mockingbird
Bottlebrush Buckeye, Aesculus parviflora - flower visited by hummingbirds, butterflies
Silky Camellia, Stewartia malachodendron - nesting for birds, pollinators
Shrubs, evergreen
Florida Leucothoe, Agarista populifolia - cover, butterflies and birds
Florida Anise, Illicium floridanum
Inkberry Holly, Ilex glabra - fruits eaten by bluebird, thrasher, mockingbirds, and other birds
Coastal Leucothoe, Leucothoe axillaris - deer browse
Dwarf Palmetto, Sabal minor - fruits eaten by warbler, woodpecker
Needle Palm, Rhapidophyllum hystix - cover, deer browse
Spanish Bayonet, Yucca aloifolia - moths, larva plant for giant skipper butterflies
Shrubs, deciduous
American Beautyberry, Callicarpia americana - fruits eaten by mockingbirds, finch, bobwhite, robin, thrasher
Carolina Allspice, Calycanthus floridus – sweetly scented flowers visited by butterflies
Sweet Pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia - flowers visited by bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, fruits eaten by many birds
Fothergilla, Fothergilla major - game birds, small mammals
Wild Hydrangea, Hydrangea aborescens - wild turkey browse
Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia - fruits eaten by song and game birds, mammals
Golden St. Johnswort, Hypericum frondosum - seeds eaten by game birds, songbirds
Virginia Sweetspire, Itea virginica - butterflies, seeds eaten by birds, cover
Mapleleaf Viburnum, Viburnum acerfolium - fruits eaten by wild turkey, bluebird, cardinal, thrasher
Florida Azalea, Rhododendron austrinum - swallowtails, gulf fritillaries, monarchs, hummingbirds, bees, and birds
Piedmont Azaleas, R. canescens
Oconee Azalea, R. flammeum
Pinxterbloom Azalea, R. periclymenoides
Vines
Carolina Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens (SC state flower) - hummingbirds, game birds, butterflies
Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata - flowers visited by hummingbirds
Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens - flowers visited by hummingbirds, bees, and birds
Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia - fruits eaten by chickadee, mockingbird, nuthatch, scarlet tanager
Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata - flowers visited by gulf fritillary butterfly, larval plant for others
Perennials, shade
Atamasco Lily, Zephyranthese atamasco
Black Cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa - larval plant for azure butterflies
Blue Wooland Pholox, Phlox divaracata - flowers visited by swallowtails, grey hairstreak
Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis - flowers visited by hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, seeds eaten by finches
Crested Iris, Iris cristata - hummingbirds, bees
False Solomons Seal, Smilacina racemosa - fruits eaten by mammals
Fire Pinks, Silene virginica - Flowers visited by hummingbirds, butterflies
Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia - butterflies, bees
Green and Gold, Chrysogonum virginianum
Heartleaf Ginger, Hexastylis arifolia - winter deer browse
Indian Pinks, Spigelia marilandica - flowers favorite for butterflies and hummingbirds
Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaema triphylium - fruits and leaves eaten by turkey and wood thrush
Lyreleaf Sage, Salvia lyrata - flowers favorite for butterflies, and hummingbirds
Partridgeberry, Mitchella repens - fruits eaten by grouse, bobwhite, wild turkey, mouse
Solomons Seal, Polygonatum biflora - roots eaten by mammals
Wild Geranium, Geranimum maculatum - seeds eaten by bobwhite, dove
Perennials, sun
Aster, Aster spp. - flowers visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, bees; seeds eaten by cardinal, finches, thrasher
Wild Indigo, Baptisia spp. - early succession, birds, bees, nitrogen fixer
Beebalm, Monarda didyma - flowers nectar source for eastern tiger swallowtail (SC state butterfly)
Spicebush - eastern black swallowtail, pipevine swallowtails, cloudless sulphur butterfly
Bluestar, Amsonia spp. - flowers visited by bees, butterflies
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida - seeds eaten by birds
Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa - flowers nectar source for tiger, spicebush,
Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis - nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies
Coreopsis, Coreopsis spp. - nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies, seeds eaten by songbirds, bees, butterflies
Carolina Phlox, Phlox carolina - nectar source for hummingbirds and butterflies
Downy Phlox, Phlox pilosa - nectar source for hummingbirds and butterflies
Goldenrod, Solidago spp. - flowers visited by butterflies, bees; seeds eaten by goldfinch and other birds
Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium fistulosum - great pollinator attractor, visited by spicebush, swallowtail, gulf fritillary, monarch, painted lady butterflies, larval plant for monarch
Prairie Blazing Star, Liatris spp. - flowers visited by butterflies, bees
Beardtongue, Penstemon spp. - flowers visited by bees, butterflies
Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum tenufolium - seeds eaten by numerous wildlife; flowers visited by butterflies, bees
Ferns
Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrosticoides - grouse, cover for frogs
Cinnamon Fern, Osmunda cinnamomea - nesting
Marginal Shield Fern, Dryopteris marginalis - shelter for toads, lizards
New York Fern, Thelypteris noveboracensis - shelter for toads
Netted Chain Fern, Woodwardia areolata - shelter for toads, salamanders, newts
Northern Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum pedatum - shelter for toads, salamanders, newts
Royal Fern, Osmunda regalis - shelter for toads, salamanders
Sensitive Fern, Onoclea sensibilis - shelter for toads, salamanders
Southern Lady Fern, Athyrium filix-femina - shelter for toads, salamanders
Grasses
Bushy Bluestern, Andropogon glomeratus - seeds eaten by birds insects and mammals
Broomsedge, Andropogon virginicus - seeds eaten by field sparrow, junco; cover for bobwhites
Inland Sea Oats, Chasmanthum latifolia - seeds eaten by grouse, titmouse, wren, robin
Indian Grass, Sorgastrum nutans (SC state grass) - flowers visited by bees, seeds eaten by birds
Salt Cordgrass, Spartina alternifora - roots eaten by geese, seeds eaten by ducks Virginia rail, seaside sparrow
Splitbeard Bluestern, Andropogon ternaries - seeds eaten by songbirds; wild turkey browse
Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum - seeds eaten by songbirds
Bulrush, Scirpus cyperinus - seeds eaten by ducks, marsh birds, muskrats, nesting cover