Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Friday - March 19, 2010

From: North Myrtle Beach, SC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Shrubs for North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Answered by: Janice Kvale

QUESTION:

What shrubs can I plant on the west-facing side of my home? The way the house sits, these shrubs will only get 2-3 hours of sun, but those 2-3 hours are end-of-the-day hot! Thanks!!

ANSWER:

There are so many options for you to choose from, you may want to do some research on your own in our Plant Database. Here is how you do that: Go to our Plant Database Combination Search. Enter your location (South Carolina), enter shrub, and perennial. Then indicate the amount of sunlight your site receives daily (part shade which is 2-6 hours daily sun) and the moisture content of the soil (dry). You may indicate if you want flowering shrubs. This previous answer may apply to your situation or this one. Be sure to check out the details of the shrubs that interest you, such as the soil specifications, disease resistance, anticipated size of the shrub, and birds or butterflies the shrub may attract. Do that by clicking on the name of the plant in any of our lists. The North Carolina Native Plant Society also has a list of native plants for North and South Carolina that may meet your specifications. The suggestions below are just a sample of the shrubs you may consider.

After you have made your selection(s), find suppliers in your area from our list. Thank you for letting Mr. Smarty Plants do a bit of research for you. The research part is fun, so enjoy! The hard work comes later.

Castanea pumila (chinkapin) may grow to 30 feet tall, but any of these should prune to a desired height.

Ilex vomitoria (yaupon) 12 to 45 feet tall, popular densely growing landscape plant

Diervilla sessilifolia (southern bush honeysuckle) 3 to 5 feet tall. Thrives in hot, sunny places.

Physocarpus opulifolius (common ninebark) 3 to 10 feet tall. Looks a bit like spirea.

Castanea pumila

Ilex vomitoria

Diervilla sessilifolia