Following Nature in South Carolina

 The Lettered Olive It's hard to see, but it's there.        The Lettered Olive, or Oliva sayana ,  is a predatory snail (the picture you see on the left is its shell, the picture you see on the right is the mollusk component with  the shell), and South Carolina's state shell! The Lettered Olive looks like an ancient creature, especially considering that it gets its name from markings that bear similarities to Egyptian hieroglyphics — but it wasn't discovered until 1834 by Dr. Edmund Ravenel, a native Charlestonian. While they are common in SC, they are not just found along one state's coast. Rather, they are native to the entire West Atlantic coast.        The Lettered Olive shell is special to many collectors because of its high luster (which comes from the snail's shell-building tissue), and is a fun find or those who engage in shelling! I grew up with shell display cases around the house (see picture below), because my mother w...

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...