F LORA & FAUNA
WILD PETUNIA
Ruellia humilis
If you’ re lucky, this little native plant, wild petunia( Ruellia humilis), is in your yard. Standing only one to two feet tall, it spreads readily by spitting seeds just a short distance away. It flowers freely throughout the summer and fall, adding pops of cheerful blue wherever it grows. It’ s also the host plant of the buckeye butterfly caterpillar( Junonia coenia), whose toxicity— thanks to the plant’ s production of iridoid glycosides— makes it a nasty mouthful for predators.
DARROW ' S BLUEBERRY
Vaccinium darrowii
With slightly acidic soil, you can grow a remarkable evergreen native shrub: Darrow’ s blueberry( Vaccinium darrowii). While its berries are small, they’ re edible and enjoyed by children, birds, and other wildlife. The shrub’ s new leaf growth emerges in varied colors, resembling a cheerful bouquet, while mature foliage provides year-round greenery. In spring, delicate bellshaped flowers add seasonal charm before giving way to fruit. Compact at just two feet tall and wide, it’ s perfectly sized for a perennial bed or as a tidy edging plant.
86 • KIAWAH CONSERVANCY