Get Acquainted with Our Natives
By Denise Graybill-Donohoe
Do you remember your first drive along
the Parkway across the Kiawah River , and you saw the purple-pink flowers of sweetgrass ( Muhlenbergia capillaris ) waving to you ? It almost seemed as though they were the Island ’ s welcoming committee . How about the first time you saw the small purple berries of American beautyberry ( Callicarpa americana ) while biking through the maritime forest ? Or the wonderful red flowers of red buckeye ( Aesculus pavia )? Maybe you have been lucky enough to see the bright yellow flowers of seaside goldenrod ( Solidago sempervirens ) at the edge of the marsh ? These plants and many more are native to Kiawah and provide pleasure for us , and more importantly , sustenance for our wildlife . They are excellent examples of form and function — a win-win for all types of Kiawah residents !
22
Photo by Tina R . Schell