South Carolina Wildflowers and Plants: Bloom Calendar

Water And Ice Safety: read this before you go

South Carolina’s state flower is yellow jessamine and its state tree is the cabbage palmetto. Wildflowers typically start with Oconee bells in mid-March, peak across the state in spring, give way to goldenrod and asters in late summer and fall, and fall color typically peaks between mid-October and early November.

Original artwork of a wildflower meadow of black-eyed Susans and coneflowers at golden hour with Blue Ridge foothills beyond

This guide sticks to what agencies and gardens say, grouped by kind of plant, with a month-by-month calendar. We leave out where the poachable plants grow, and we list what we could not confirm. Bloom times are “typically”: always check the site you plan to visit.

Health warning

Poison Ivy, Poisonous Garden Plants and Wild Plants: Read Before You Touch or Taste

Poison ivy: Clemson says leaves come in threes, the oil (urushiol) is in every part and stays on tools, clothes and pet fur for months, and dead plants can still cause a rash. Look-alike Virginia creeper has five leaflets. Wash with running water as soon as you can, avoid oil-based soaps, and never burn it because smoke can cause a rash (Clemson, read October 30, 2026).
Poisonous garden plants: Clemson says all parts of Carolina jessamine are very poisonous and that oleander is extremely poisonous. Keep children and pets from chewing or sucking either one, and never burn oleander cuttings (Clemson: jessamine; Clemson: oleander).
Wild plants: do not eat a wild plant unless a trained guide confirms it (general guidance, not medical advice).

Not confirmedWhether a plant you meet is safe to touch or eat, and what to do after a bad reaction. Check with a trained guide, your doctor or the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) before relying on this page.

This page repeats what the sources it names say. It is general information, not medical advice.

Wildflowers, Trees and Plants You Might See

Where and when come from the source in the last column. Bloom times are “typically”: they shift with weather from year to year, so check with the park, garden or preserve before you go. Information as of October 30, 2026.

State Symbols

Plant	Where and when, per the source	Care note	Source
Yellow jessamine (state flower)	Adopted as the state flower on February 1, 1924. A climbing woody evergreen vine with small, fragrant yellow flower clusters, indigenous to every part of the state, per the State House. Clemson says the flowers appear February through April; Congaree lists March to April; the SC Botanical Garden lists April at its front entrance.	All parts are very poisonous (Clemson); children can be poisoned by sucking the nectar. Sap may irritate skin.	State House: state symbols; Clemson: Carolina jessamine; Congaree wildflowers; SC Botanical Garden
Cabbage palmetto (state tree)	Designated the state tree on March 17, 1939. The State House says it stands for the defeat of the British fleet at Fort Moultrie, whose palmetto-log walls absorbed cannonballs.		State House: state symbols
Goldenrod (state wildflower)	Named the state wildflower in 2003. Bright yellow flowers bloom in late summer and early fall and the plant is found throughout the state.		State House: state symbols
Indian grass (state grass)	A native perennial warm-season grass that grows 3 to 5 feet tall, named the state grass in 2001.		State House: state symbols
Venus flytrap (state carnivorous plant)	Named in 2023. The State House says it is native to only two places in the world, one of them South Carolina, and is federally designated At-Risk. We do not publish where it grows.	Protected by law: see Staying Safe and Leaving Plants Be.	State House: state symbols

Spring Wildflowers

Plant	Where and when, per the source	Care note	Source
Oconee bell	Blooms in mid-March, one of the state’s earliest wildflowers, along the Oconee Bell Nature Trail at Devils Fork State Park, per State Parks. The SC Botanical Garden lists it in March in its Natural Heritage Garden.	Stay on the trail and leave the plants.	SC State Parks: wildflowers; SC Botanical Garden
Little sweet Betsy, Canada violet and walking fern	Station Cove Falls Trail, which starts at Oconee Station State Historic Site and continues into Sumter National Forest, is called an exceptional wildflower destination, especially April into May. Walking fern is listed as “possibly” there.		SC State Parks: wildflowers
Rocky shoals spider lily	Landsford Canal State Park lists peak bloom from mid-May through mid-June.	Watch from the trail; do not wade into the river for a closer look (general guidance).	SC State Parks: wildflowers
Cardinal flower, Jack-in-the-pulpit, crane-fly orchid, spicebush, spiderwort, Solomon’s seal, fire pink, yellow passionflower	Listed as other wildflowers at Landsford Canal State Park. The page gives no months for them.		SC State Parks: wildflowers
Mayapple, coral honeysuckle and atamasco lily	Listed along the nature trail and riverbanks at Givhans Ferry State Park. No months are given.		SC State Parks: wildflowers
Atamasco lily	Congaree National Park lists March to April. Common in bottomland forests like Congaree, but seen less often there than some others.		Congaree wildflowers
Piedmont azalea	Congaree lists April to May: light pink blooms on large woody shrubs.		Congaree wildflowers
Pinkroot	Congaree lists April to June: red and yellow blooms on a perennial 1.5 to 2.5 feet tall. The SC Botanical Garden lists woodland pinkroot May to June.		Congaree wildflowers; SC Botanical Garden
Pawpaw	Congaree lists March to April, with purplish blooms; native pawpaw trees are abundant in the bottomland forest.		Congaree wildflowers
Butterweed	Congaree lists March to June and calls it likely the most abundant springtime wildflower in the bottomland forest, one of the first to bloom each year.		Congaree wildflowers
Trillium, bloodroot and windflower; heliotrope and common toadflax	State Parks says trillium, bloodroot and windflower bloom in forests, while heliotrope and common toadflax grow along roadsides and in fields. The page gives no months. The SC Botanical Garden lists bloodroot in March.		SC State Parks: wildflowers; SC Botanical Garden
Spring wildflowers at Table Rock and Mountain Bridge	State Parks presents both as good spring wildflower destinations but lists no species or dates and says to contact the parks about what is in bloom before you go.	Call the park first.	SC State Parks: wildflowers

Summer and Fall Wildflowers

Plant	Where and when, per the source	Source
Virginia springbeauty and halberd-leaf yellow violet	SC Botanical Garden, Natural Heritage Garden: springbeauty in February; violet February to March.	SC Botanical Garden
Snake-mouth orchid	SC Botanical Garden, longleaf pine savannah area: May.	SC Botanical Garden
Cup plant	SC Botanical Garden, Natural Heritage Garden: July to August.	SC Botanical Garden
Orange fringed orchid	SC Botanical Garden, longleaf pine savannah area: August.	SC Botanical Garden
Bitter snakeroot and climbing aster	SC Botanical Garden, Natural Heritage Garden: September to October.	SC Botanical Garden
Goldenrod	Bright yellow in late summer and early fall, found throughout the state (State House).	State House: state symbols
Sumter National Forest wildflowers	The Forest Service says visitors can see wildflowers in the Sumter National Forest from spring through fall “if you know where to look.”	Forest Service: plants

Carnivorous Plants and Bogs

Plant	Where and when, per the source	Care note	Source
Venus flytrap	Per South Carolina Public Radio, it grows naturally only in northern coastal South Carolina and a small strip of southeastern North Carolina, and a biologist calls it “globally rare.” The threats named are poaching, which is illegal, and development. It relies on fire to clear overgrowth. We do not publish where it grows.	Never dig, cut or collect one: it is a misdemeanor in South Carolina (see Staying Safe and Leaving Plants Be).	Public Radio: Venus flytrap; State code 16-11-590
Yellow and hooded pitcher plants, pink sundew	A Clemson Extension school-garden post describes them in a Carolina bay, a plant community it says “occurs only in the boggy coastal bays of the Carolinas.” Open, sunny conditions were historically kept by fire. The post gives no bloom months.	Look from the edge; bogs are fragile (general guidance).	Clemson Extension school gardens
Parrot pitcherplant	SC Botanical Garden lists June in the Carnivorous Bog area of its Natural Heritage Garden. A garden is a way to see pitcher plants without disturbing wild ones.		SC Botanical Garden
Carnivorous plants of the Francis Marion	The Forest Service says the Francis Marion National Forest has 12 species of carnivorous plants among more than 1,600 documented species. It gives no locations, and neither do we.		Forest Service: plants

Coastal Dune Plants

Plant	Where and when, per the source	Care note	Source
Sea oats	Flowers in July; wind carries the seeds by mid-August; seeds lie dormant through fall and winter and sprout in spring (SCDNR). Rhizomes bind sand and the clumps trap blowing sand, which builds dunes. SCDNR lists South Carolina range as the coastal mainland of Horry and Georgetown counties and barrier islands from Berkeley to Beaufort counties.	Protected by law: cutting or collecting sea oats is a misdemeanor. SCDNR’s Heritage Trust Program considers sea oats a species of concern.	SCDNR: sea oats; State code 16-11-590

Trees and Fall Color

Plant	Where and when, per the source	Care note	Source
Congaree champion trees	USGS counts five national champion trees and 27 state champion trees at Congaree National Park, with cypress and swamp tupelo among the park’s trees. Big Tree register species named: loblolly pine, swamp tupelo, laurel oak, possumhaw and sweetgum. The park also lists 328 terrestrial, 512 wetland and 3 aquatic plants.	Floods can cover trails (general guidance); check the park first.	USGS: Congaree ecology
Cypress knees	USGS says cone-shaped knees rise above cypress roots. Scientists have proposed several purposes, but none is confirmed.		USGS: Congaree ecology
Fall color: statewide timing	State Parks says peak fall foliage typically falls between mid-October and early November, starting in the mountains in mid-to-late October and moving toward the coast through November. Timing shifts with temperature and rainfall.	Check Table Rock’s fall foliage reports and park webcams before you travel (State Parks).	SC State Parks: fall
Fall color: Upstate parks	The Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway is called most spectacular, with Jones Gap, Caesars Head, Table Rock, Keowee-Toxaway, Devils Fork and Oconee state parks. Kings Mountain, Paris Mountain, Poinsett and Chester state parks are also recommended.		SC State Parks: fall
Poison ivy in fall	Clemson says poison ivy leaves turn bright orange-red in fall. The oil stays active.	Pretty is not safe: see Staying Safe and Leaving Plants Be.	Clemson: poison ivy

Azaleas and Camellias at Public Gardens

Plant	Where and when, per the source	Care note	Source
Camellias at the SC Botanical Garden	Snow Flurry camellia, December to January, and Marie Bracey camellia, December to February, in the Camellia Garden.	Call 864-656-3405 for what is open (number from the garden’s page).	SC Botanical Garden
Azaleas and camellias at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens	Magnolia’s bloom page shows one featured plant per month: Indica azalea in March and sasanqua camellia in December. It calls the page “a journal of blossoming plants and when you can expect to see them” and says something is in bloom 365 days a year. It does not give peak dates.	Check Magnolia’s What’s In Bloom page before you go. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.	Magnolia: What’s in Bloom

Bloom Calendar: What Typically Blooms When

Each month lists plants that a source above puts in bloom or in color at that time. “Typically” is deliberate: check the site for what is open now.

Month	Typically in bloom or in color	Source
January	Camellia (Snow Flurry, through January); Magnolia features winter honeysuckle	SC Botanical Garden; Magnolia
February	Yellow jessamine begins; Virginia springbeauty; yellow violet; camellia (Marie Bracey, through February)	Clemson; SC Botanical Garden
March	Oconee bell; bloodroot; atamasco lily; pawpaw; butterweed; yellow jessamine; Indica azalea at Magnolia	SC Parks; Congaree; SC Botanical Garden; Magnolia
April	Yellow jessamine; Piedmont azalea; pinkroot; Station Cove Falls Trail wildflowers	Congaree; SC Parks; SC Botanical Garden
May	Piedmont azalea; pinkroot; snake-mouth orchid; Station Cove Falls Trail; rocky shoals spider lily from mid-May	Congaree; SC Parks; SC Botanical Garden
June	Rocky shoals spider lily through mid-June; pinkroot; parrot pitcherplant; butterweed	SC Parks; SC Botanical Garden; Congaree
July	Cup plant; sea oats flower	SC Botanical Garden; SCDNR
August	Orange fringed orchid; cup plant; sea oat seeds disperse by mid-August	SC Botanical Garden; SCDNR
September	Goldenrod begins (late summer); bitter snakeroot; climbing aster	State House; SC Botanical Garden
October	Goldenrod; climbing aster; fall color starts in the mountains in mid-to-late October	State House; SC Botanical Garden; SC Parks
November	Fall color moves toward the coast (peak typically runs to early November in the Upstate)	SC Parks
December	Camellias (Snow Flurry, Marie Bracey; sasanqua at Magnolia)	SC Botanical Garden; Magnolia

Where to See Them

We only point to places an official page names.

Devils Fork State Park: Oconee Bell Nature Trail, mid-March. Also listed for fall color.
Station Cove Falls Trail from Oconee Station State Historic Site: April into May.
Landsford Canal State Park: spider lilies mid-May through mid-June, plus a long list of other wildflowers.
Givhans Ferry State Park: mayapple, coral honeysuckle and atamasco lily on the nature trail and riverbanks.
Congaree National Park: spring wildflowers in the bottomland forest, with champion trees (floods can close trails).
The South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson: month-by-month highlights, a camellia garden and a carnivorous bog.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Middleton Place and Brookgreen Gardens on this site: public gardens known for azaleas and camellias. Only Magnolia’s bloom page was readable for this guide (see What We Could Not Verify).
Fall color in the UpstateJones Gap, Caesars Head, Table Rock, Keowee-Toxaway, Devils Fork and Oconee, per State Parks.
State park guides on this siteUpstate State Parks, Midlands State Parks, Lowcountry State Parks and Pee Dee and Grand Strand State Parks.

Staying Safe and Leaving Plants Be

Read this firstThe law and park-rule notes below are not legal advice. We read the South Carolina Code of Laws (Title 16, Chapter 11) on the State House site and the State Parks, Clemson and Park Service pages named in Sources on October 30, 2026. Laws, penalties and park rules can change, so check the current text or ask the agency (the property owner, the park, SC State Parks or the SC Department of Natural Resources) before you rely on them. Anything we could not confirm is listed under What We Could Not Verify.
Do not pick or digSouth Carolina law makes it unlawful to cut, collect, break or otherwise destroy sea oat plants or Venus’s-flytrap plants, or any part, on public property or on private property without the owner’s consent. It is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $200 or 5 to 30 days in jail, and each violation counts separately (state code 16-11-590; check the current code).
Private landEntering another person’s land without consent to gather wildflowers, shrubbery or herbs is also a misdemeanor (state code 16-11-610). Stay on public land and marked trails.
Parks and preservesThe State Parks wildflower page lists no picking rules, so leave every plant where it grows and ask the park about its rules (general guidance).
DunesSea oats hold the dunes together and are species of concern. Walk on marked crossovers, not through the plants (general guidance).
Bogs and wetlandsLook from the trail edge, since trampling can harm fragile plant communities (general guidance).

Before You Go: Check These

Some facts on this page are not confirmed. Check the official source before you go.

Not Confirmed Brookgreen Gardens and Middleton Place: we use no bloom facts for either, so confirm what is in bloom with each garden before you go.
Not Confirmed Magnolia Plantation and Gardens: its page names one featured plant per month and gives no peak dates; where and how long each bloom lasts is not stated.
Not Confirmed Peak bloom dates for any plant this year. Every month here is a “typically” from a source, and weather can move it by weeks.
Not Confirmed Whether picking wildflowers is allowed in a particular state park or national park. The pages we read give no rule, so we say to leave everything.
Not Confirmed The current text of the sea oat and Venus flytrap law. We read the State House code page on October 30, 2026; check the current Code of Laws with the SC State House or the SC Department of Natural Resources before you rely on the fine amounts.
Not Confirmed Where Venus flytraps and pitcher plants grow in the wild. We left locations out on purpose to avoid helping poachers.
Not Confirmed Which Carolina bays are open to visit and what blooms in each. The Clemson post names plants in one bay without naming the place.
Not Confirmed South Carolina Botanical Garden hours and admission. The seasonal highlights page does not list them; check Clemson’s visit page.
Not Confirmed Fall color this year, and Congaree fall color. We read only the typical timing on State Parks’ page; no current report or Congaree page was read.
Not Confirmed Where the Sumter National Forest wildflowers are best, or how many species grow in each park.
Not Confirmed South Carolina Native Plant Society events and plant sales. Its page names field trips and plant sales but lists no dates.

Found something rare? Enjoy it, photograph it, and do not post its exact spot online.

More Guides

Questions People Ask

What is the South Carolina state flower?

Yellow jessamine, adopted on February 1, 1924. Clemson says its flowers typically appear February through April. All parts of the plant are very poisonous.

What is the South Carolina state tree?

The cabbage palmetto, designated on March 17, 1939.

What is the South Carolina state wildflower?

Goldenrod, named in 2003. It blooms in late summer and early fall.

When do wildflowers bloom in South Carolina?

The sources we read start with Oconee bell in mid-March and Congaree’s spring flowers in March to June, run through spider lilies in mid-May to mid-June, and finish with goldenrod and asters in September and October. Check with the park, since timing varies.

Where can I see Oconee bells?

Devils Fork State Park lists them along the Oconee Bell Nature Trail in mid-March, and the SC Botanical Garden lists them in March.

Where do Venus flytraps grow in South Carolina?

They grow naturally only in northern coastal South Carolina, per South Carolina Public Radio. We do not publish locations. Collecting one is a misdemeanor.

Is it illegal to pick sea oats?

Yes. Section 16-11-590 makes it unlawful to cut, collect, break or otherwise destroy sea oats, on public land or on private land without the owner’s consent.

When does fall color peak in South Carolina?

State Parks says it typically peaks between mid-October and early November, starting in the mountains and reaching the coast through November.

When do camellias bloom in South Carolina?

The SC Botanical Garden lists camellias from December through February, and Magnolia features a sasanqua camellia in December.

Can I take wildflowers from a state park?

The State Parks wildflower page lists no picking rules, so leave every plant in place and ask the park.

Sources

Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s South Carolina. Cite this page: It’s South Carolina (https://itssouthcarolina.com/wildflowers-and-plants/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.

Safety Notice

Water And Ice Safety: Read This Before You Go

Lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, beaches and ice can kill, quickly and without warning. Conditions change by the hour and we cannot see them from here. This page is general information only. It is not a safety assessment, and it does not say or promise that any place, water, ice or activity is safe.

We do not inspect, test, measure or monitor water, ice, currents, depth, water quality, algae, wildlife, access, closures or lifeguard staffing at any place we list.
Posted signs, closures, advisories, flags and the directions of rangers, lifeguards and the land owner or managing agency always override anything here. A place being listed does not mean it is open, legal to enter, or permitted for swimming, wading, boating or fishing, and does not give you permission to be on private land or private water.
Children and weak swimmers: the CDC says to assign a responsible adult to watch children closely and constantly in or near water, with no phone, reading, alcohol or drugs, and to use life jackets for children in and around natural water. It also says inflatable or foam toys are not safety devices.
Open water hides hazards. The CDC names currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and poor visibility. As general guidance (not from a named source), also expect sudden drop-offs, very cold water even on a warm day, submerged objects, boat traffic and changing weather. Never swim alone, and never mix alcohol with water or boats.

Thin Ice: No Ice Is Guaranteed Safe

If you cannot be sure the ice is safe, stay off it. Ice thickness is not even. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says a lake can be "two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away", and that it does not measure ice thickness on lakes: "Your safety is your responsibility."
The Minnesota DNR's published guidelines are for new, clear ice only: under 4 inches, stay off; about 4 inches for people on foot, such as ice fishing. It says to double those numbers on white ice and to allow more for loads that sit longer than two hours. Those figures are one state's general guidance for average conditions. They are not a guarantee, may not fit this place or this winter, and a measurement in one spot says nothing about the next.
As general guidance (not from a named source): moving water, inlets and outlets, springs, docks, pressure ridges, snow cover, recent thaws and ice that is cloudy, gray or slushy are all warning signs. Another person saying the ice is safe, a social media post, or old footprints and tracks are not proof. Ponds and small lakes can freeze unevenly and can have thin spots near shore.
If you choose to go anyway, you do so at your own risk: tell someone where you are going, never go alone, and keep children and pets off. Ice rescue is dangerous even for professionals. Call 911 instead of going out after someone.

Emergency in the United States: call 911. Learn CPR, as the CDC recommends.

Not ConfirmedWe have not verified current water or ice conditions, water quality, access, swimming or boating permission, lifeguard hours, fees, rules or closures for any place on this page. The land owner or managing agency (a park, city, county, state or federal office, or the property owner) is the one who can confirm them. Ask them before you go.

Sources read on 8 November 2026: the Minnesota DNR ice thickness guidelines (dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html, no page date shown) and the CDC drowning prevention page (cdc.gov/drowning/prevention, page dated 29 September 2025). Guidance can change and can differ by state and by place: check the current text and your local agency before relying on it. This notice is general guidance only. It is not legal, medical, rescue or professional safety advice, and nobody on this site is a lifeguard or safety professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for any children and pets with you, and you use this information at your own risk. Water, ice, weather and local rules change quickly and differ by state, county and property. To the fullest extent the law allows, this site, its owner and its contributors are not responsible for any injury, death, loss or damage that results from using this information or from visiting any place, water or ice mentioned here. If you do not accept that, do not rely on this page (see the Limits Of Liability in our Terms Of Use).

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Updated November 5, 2026

South Carolina Wildflowers and Plants: What Blooms, When and Where