Quick answer: 137 drought-tolerant native plants are native to South Carolina, 113 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
137 species
- Adam's needle Yucca filamentosa · 21 states
- Allegheny chinquapin Castanea pumila · 21 states
- Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis · 17 states
- American alumroot Heuchera americana · 20 states
- American basswood Tilia americana · 37 states
- American beautyberry Callicarpa americana · 13 states
- American bittersweet Celastrus scandens · 33 states
- American hazelnut Corylus americana · 34 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- American mountain ash Sorbus americana · 18 states
- Appalachian gooseberry Ribes rotundifolium · 11 states
- Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides · 17 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata · 25 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blackjack oak Quercus marilandica · 24 states
- Boxelder Acer negundo · 16 states
- Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba · 21 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Climbing prairie rose Rosa setigera · 27 states
- Cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli · 25 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common evening primrose Oenothera biennis · 30 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius · 30 states
- Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana · 26 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Coral bean Erythrina herbacea · 10 states
- Coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus · 30 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Deerberry Vaccinium stamineum · 22 states
- Downy serviceberry Amelanchier arborea · 37 states
- Dwarf palmetto Sabal minor · 6 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens · 13 states
- Eastern hop-hornbeam Ostrya virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris · 25 states
- Eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea · 24 states
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis · 32 states
- Eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens · 23 states
- Eastern white pine Pinus strobus · 28 states
- Fall obedient plant Physostegia virginiana · 37 states
- Farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum · 16 states
- Fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis · 16 states
- Fire pink Silene virginica · 26 states
- Flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum · 14 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata · 29 states
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis · 35 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Grayhead coneflower Ratibida pinnata · 26 states
- Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica · 36 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Groundsel tree Baccharis halimifolia · 12 states
- Gulf muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris · 16 states
- Highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum · 25 states
- Hollow Joe-pye weed Eutrochium fistulosum · 24 states
- Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Jacob's ladder Polemonium reptans · 31 states
- Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus · 26 states
- Lanceleaf coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata · 35 states
- Lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora · 10 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Loblolly pine Pinus taeda · 18 states
- Longleaf pine Pinus palustris · 10 states
- Low prickly pear Opuntia humifusa · 31 states
- Lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata · 22 states
- Mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium · 27 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia · 23 states
- Mountain witch-alder Fothergilla major · 8 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa · 9 states
- Northern red oak Quercus rubra · 33 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata · 30 states
- Partridgeberry Mitchella repens · 31 states
- Pignut hickory Carya glabra · 31 states
- Pink-scale blazing star Liatris elegans · 9 states
- Pitch pine Pinus rigida · 12 states
- Roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata · 30 states
- Rusty blackhaw viburnum Viburnum rufidulum · 18 states
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum · 22 states
- Scaly blazing star Liatris squarrosa · 22 states
- Seaside goldenrod Solidago sempervirens · 13 states
- Shagbark hickory Carya ovata · 34 states
- Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata · 22 states
- Shrubby St. John's-wort Hypericum prolificum · 33 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum · 34 states
- Smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides · 30 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum · 17 states
- Southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum · 28 states
- Southern live oak Quercus virginiana · 10 states
- Southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora · 10 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Spanish dagger Yucca aloifolia · 7 states
- Spotted beebalm Monarda punctata · 29 states
- Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina · 28 states
- Steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa · 22 states
- Stokes aster Stokesia laevis · 7 states
- Striped maple Acer pensylvanicum · 18 states
- Sugar maple Acer saccharum · 34 states
- Sundial lupine Lupinus perennis · 28 states
- Sweet birch Betula lenta · 21 states
- Sweet-fern Comptonia peregrina · 21 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Table mountain pine Pinus pungens · 9 states
- Tall blazing star Liatris aspera · 26 states
- Threadleaf coreopsis Coreopsis verticillata · 14 states
- Trumpet vine Campsis radicans · 33 states
- Two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera · 8 states
- Virgin's bower Clematis virginiana · 27 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Virginia pine Pinus virginiana · 20 states
- Virginia spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana · 24 states
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana · 30 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
- White wild indigo Baptisia alba · 23 states
- Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata · 30 states
- Winged sumac Rhus copallinum · 30 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
- Woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica · 16 states
- Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria · 11 states
Drought-tolerant native plants in South Carolina: what to know
137 of the 292 plants native to South Carolina in this directory fit this need: 47% of the state's list, well below the 56% share across all species.
Between them they flower from January through December, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 107 are also good for pollinators, 100 are also good for birds, 81 are also shade-tolerant.
102 of them grow in full or partial sun and 81 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like American alumroot and Birdfoot violet to trees such as Allegheny chinquapin and Allegheny serviceberry. For wildlife, 107 support pollinators, 100 provide food or cover for birds and 52 are caterpillar host plants.
113 of the 137 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying American alumroot, Black-eyed Susan, Common yarrow: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun