Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 12–18 in and bright gold flowers, flowering as it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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South Carolina · Zones 7–9
Easy Native Plants in South Carolina
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. South Carolina sits in a landscape of Sandhills, Piedmont & Lowcountry, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid subtropical character. The list below — led by Lanceleaf Coreopsis and Wild Geranium — is filtered to species genuinely native to South Carolina and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
31 native species for South Carolina
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Plant it and forget it: happy in loam soil and lavender-pink flowers, no fuss — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A beginner's native — 4–7 ft wide and 4–7 ft tall, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
A beginner's native — for clay and loam ground and spreading 10–20 ft, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A beginner's native — reaching 1.5–2.5 ft and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 3–6 ft and coral-red flowers, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Thrives on neglect once placed right: royal purple flowers and 2–3 ft wide; it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A beginner's native — 20–30 ft tall and rose-magenta flowers, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Plant it and forget it: red & yellow flowers and happy in rocky and loam soil, no fuss — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 2–4 ft tall and white flowers, and forgives neglect — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Plant it and forget it: spreading 1.5–2 ft and cold-hardy to zone 3, no fuss — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and white (wild form) flowers — it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Plant it and forget it: golden yellow flowers and spreading 12–18 in, no fuss, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Plant it and forget it: 2–4 ft wide and pink flowers, no fuss, and it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
A beginner's native — 1.5–2.5 ft tall and chartreuse-gold flowers, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
A beginner's native — 3–4 ft tall and cold-hardy to zone 3, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Plant it and forget it: spreading 3–5 ft and happy in clay and loam soil, no fuss, and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 6–10 ft and hardy in zones 3–8, and forgives neglect — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
About as hard to kill as a native gets — hardy in zones 3–7 and reaching 5–10 ft, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 3–5 ft tall and spreading 1.5–3 ft, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 2–6 ft tall and yellow catkins flowers, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 3–5 ft tall and hardy in zones 3–8, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay and loam ground and 6–12 ft wide; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
A beginner's native — inconspicuous flowers and spreading 4–8 ft, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
7 more also qualify: Common Boneset, Virginia Creeper, Wild Ginger, Stiff Goldenrod, Pennsylvania Sedge, Christmas Fern, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in South Carolina
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.