Following Nature in South Carolina

It's the Palmetto State, After All! South Carolina's state tree: The Cabbage Palm.        Unlike the Crape Myrtle, the Cabbage, Sabal, or South Carolina Palm is native to South Carolina. A branchless evergreen tree, the Cabbage Palm can grow up to thirty-three feet tall, and produces yellow, brush-like flowers, typically below its wide and divided leaves. While naturally occurring along the coastal plain of South Carolina, it is not uncommon to see Cabbage Palms planted throughout the state in both suburban and urban areas. They are a typical sight around state government buildings (especially in the state capital of Columbia), neighborhood entrances, and schools ( SCDNR ACE Characterization Study Species Gallery ). South Carolina's subtropic climate makes it easy for these palms to thrive even away from the humidity of the coast that they are used to. A Deeper Meaning But wait, why is it the Palmetto State, again?             On Ju...

What's the Buzz? Take a listen to the sound of cicadas, or Magicicada, below.         The average southern night is filled with the unrelenting song of male cicadas, trying to attract a mate. Annual and Periodical Not just one wave, but two.        The Magicicada , or North American cicada, is native to eastern North America, to include SC. Its population consists of twelve seventeen-year broods and three thirteen-year broods. While the term "brood" may sound like an alternative for "species", it is intended to describe a group of cicadas that emerges on the same schedule rather than shares the same attributes. In fact, a brood can contain multiple species of cicadas (UCONN Biodiversity Research Collections: Periodical Cicadas) .        Periodical cicadas will emerge from the ground in these broods every thirteen to seventeen summers after living underground, tunneling, and feeding on roots. At this stage, they are called nymp...

The Crepe Myrtle What? But it's not even native to Myrtle Beach, SC!        Native to eastern Asia, the Lagerstroemia, or Crepe Myrtle, came into the United States through Charleston, SC , in the late 1780s through the early to late 1790s, according to John Barrat of the Smithsonian . They did well in the warm, humid climate (similar to that of their native area), and as a result, spread all over the Southeast. That being said, they are an absolute staple of the South Carolina landscape with their many shapes and sizes, whether just a shrub or a full-blown tree, and their pink, purple, red, or white conical blooms. Pros and Cons of the Crepe Myrtle Ugh, is this another kudzu situation?        According to  John Barrat of the Smithsonian , with these trees individually producing a few pounds of seed each year, native birds have quickly added it to their diet, and in this way, it has had a positive impact on the ecosystem. Crepe Myrtles ar...

 The Classic Warning "You watch out for ticks and copperheads, now!"        If you grew up in South Carolina, your parents probably issued this exact string of words before you went outside to play. At that age, nothing seemed more terrifying than the prospect of stumbling across that venomous, wriggling entity, covered in tan hourglasses from head to tail. If and when that day finally came, you were frozen in fear, likely stuck in an awkward spot between a bit of brush and that football that you would no longer be retrieving! All About the Copperhead What sets the snake apart?        According to Clemson Cooperative Extension's Home & Garden Information Center , the copperhead is one of six venomous snakes found in SC. Arguably the most notorious in the state next to the Cottonmouth or "Water Moccasin" , the Copperhead is a pit viper, meaning that it utilizes heat-seeking pits on both sides of its triangular head to find prey. Its colori...

A Common Sight What's all that green stuff over there?        It sprawls alongside highways. It carpets entire swaths of forestry. It's everywhere, and it's important enough that in my third-grade South Carolina musical, we sang an entire song about it. It's Kudzu.       What began as a decorative plant native to Asia has ended in the harmful consumption of much of the American Southeast's natural environment: Kudzu is a vine that, "[o] nce established, [...] grows at a rate of one foot per day..." according to The Nature Conservancy . This quality has naturally lent itself to a fast and far spread, depicted in the graphic below, but it begs the question: How exactly did kudzu go from being an exotic porch plant to an invasive species?  https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/the-history-and-use-of-kudzu-in-the-southeastern-united-states/ Kudzu in America How did it get here?        The Forestry and Wildlife section...

Background Common throughout the southeast, but special to one state.        If you grew up in South Carolina, there's one thing you never failed to hear in the mornings. Perhaps it drove you crazy, or was a comforting component of your childhood soundscape. Regardless of your personal feelings towards the fairly incessant call of the state's official bird, it is undoubtedly an ever-present part of South Carolina's environment.         If you are unfamiliar with the Carolina Wren song, think you might know it but are not quite sure, or want to be reminded, you can find examples at Cornell Lab's All About Birds  Carolina Wren Sounds . What is the Carolina Wren up to? Where does the Carolina Wren go? What are its habits?  Carolina Wrens are non-migratory birds, and they mate for life, so they are fairly stationary. Their habitat encompasses the entirety of the American southeast and even stretches into South America.   ...