Cypress Gardens Volunteers and Supporters

Cypress Gardens Volunteers and Supporters The Friends of Cypress Gardens is a 501 3 c nonprofit that supports Historic Cypress Gardens with vo We have business meetings 4 times a year.

The Friends of Cypress Gardens is a 501 3 c nonprofit that supports Historic Cypress Gardens with volunteers and funding. We have fund raisers on the 3rd Saturday of each month which is a free day for Berkeley County residents. New volunteers are always welcome. Call 843 553 -0515 for more info.

Butterfly House 6/16
06/18/2026

Butterfly House 6/16

Plant of the Week: Abelia (Abelia spp.) is a graceful shrub that belongs to the Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family. Th...
06/09/2026

Plant of the Week: Abelia (Abelia spp.) is a graceful shrub that belongs to the Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family. The arching shrub's small, delicate blooms make reliable borders and shrub plantings. Abelia is semi-evergreen in much of the South, making it an excellent choice for foundation plantings and hedges if tended to appropriately. A hearty plant with a moderate to fast growth rate, abelia can grow densely enough to become a hedging or screening plant in the yard, a coveted characteristic in Southern landscape design. Some varieties grow low enough to the ground to be adequate ground cover or plantings for sloping and hilly areas.

Other gardeners appreciate abelia as a specimen planting, its foliage and flowers attractive enough to stand alone as a centerpiece as long as it is regularly pruned. Plant the shrubs when the soil is warm in the spring or in early fall. Here's what else to know about growing and caring for abelia.

Common Name Abelia
Botanical Name Abelia spp.
Family Caprifoliaceae
Plant Type Perennial, shrub
Mature Size 3-8 ft. tall, 3-6 ft. wide
Sun Exposure Full, partial
Soil Type Loamy, moist, well-drained, rich
Soil pH Acidic to neutral (5.0 to 7.5)
Bloom Time Summer, fall
Flower Color Pink, yellow, purple, white
Hardiness Zones Zones 4-10 (USDA)
Native Area Asia

Wildlife Value:
This shrub is attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
Play Value:Attractive Flowers, Easy to Grow, Wildlife Food Source
Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
drought, pollution, deer
Dimensions:Height: 2 ft. 6 in. - 8 ft. 0 in., Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.

Plant Type:Perennial, Shrub
Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:Broadleaf Evergreen, Deciduous
Semi-evergreen
Habit/Form:Arching, Dense, Erect
Multi-stemmed
Growth Rate:Medium
Maintenance:Low

Light:Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil Texture:Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand
Soil pH:Acid (8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil Drainage:Good Drainage, Moist
Available Space To Plant:6-feet-12 feet
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Flower Color:Pink, White
Flower Inflorescence:Cyme
Flower Value To Gardener:Fragrant, Showy
Flower Bloom Time:Fall, Spring, Summer
Flower Shape:Bell, Tubular

Attracts:Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Pollinators
Resistance To Challenges:Deer, Drought, Erosion, Pollution, Salt,
Urban Conditions

06/06/2026

Just 7 days until Midsummer at Cypress Gardens and Free Day for Berkeley County residents!

Meet us at Midsummer at Cypress Gardens on June 13th for a day full of Swedish tradition and celebration! Follow our event page HERE for updates leading up to the event.

Butterfly House 6/2 and 6/3. Busy two days with a lot of visitors!
06/04/2026

Butterfly House 6/2 and 6/3. Busy two days with a lot of visitors!

Plant of the Week: Spotted Jewelw**d (Impatiens capensis)- Jewelw**d is an annual and native wildflower to Canada and th...
05/26/2026

Plant of the Week: Spotted Jewelw**d (Impatiens capensis)-

Jewelw**d is an annual and native wildflower to Canada and the North, Central, and Eastern United States. It is commonly found in swampy areas, low woodlands, thickets, bogs, or along streams. It may grow from 2 to 5 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. The jewelw**d has a unique and beautiful orange to orange-yellow flower with dark splotches of reddish-brown that appear in clusters of 1 to 3 blooms. Dew or rain beads up on the leaves, forming sparkling droplets that give rise to the common name of jewelw**d. It is a member of the balsam family (Balsaminaceae).

Prefers partial to full shade and moist to wet, humus soils. It is winter hardy from zones 2 to 11 and is tolerant of heavy shade and clay soil. Jewelw**d is easily propagated by seeds that may be sown in early fall. This plant is quite aggressive and can form large colonies by self-seeding under its required growing conditions.

Jewelw**d makes a beautiful addition to a native garden. Other garden uses include moist shade or woodland gardens, bog gardens, pond or stream margins, and in low spots.

Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: No significant insect or disease issues. This plant can prolifically self-seed. In 2018, this plant was labeled a noxious w**d in the State of Washington. It had spread rapidly in the lowland areas, forming dense carpets and competing with native species.

Life Cycle:Annual, Native Plant, Wildflower
Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:Deciduous
Habit/Form:Erect
Maintenance:Medium
Dimensions:Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in., Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Recommended Propagation Strategy:Seed
Country Or Region Of Origin:Canada to the North, Central, and Eastern United States

Wildlife Value: Its flowers are attractive to Ruby-throated hummingbirds in the late summer and fall. Flowers provide nectar to pollinators from June until the first frost. Attracts bumblebees and honeybees. Gamebirds such as pheasants and quail eat the seeds, and deer browse the foliage.

Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
This plant is moderately resistant to damage from deer and resistant to fire in the landscape.

Light:
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil Texture:Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand
Soil pH:Acid (8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil Drainage:Moist, Occasionally Wet
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b

Flower Color:Gold/Yellow, Orange, Red/Burgundy
Flower Inflorescence:Raceme
Flower Value To Gardener:Showy
Flower Bloom Time:Fall, Summer

Attracts:, Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Pollinators, Small Mammals
Resistance To Challenges:Fire, Heavy Shade, Wet Soil
Problems:Poisonous to Humans, Problem for Cats, Problem for Children, Problem for Dogs

Poison Severity:Low
Poison Symptoms:The fruits are toxic if ingested and cause mild to moderate gastric irritation.
Poison Toxic Principle:napthoquinone
Causes Contact Dermatitis:No
Poison Part:Fruits

Butterfly house this week.
05/23/2026

Butterfly house this week.

05/21/2026

Thank you to all the poets and everyone who participated in the Poetry Walk! Congratulations to the winner, “We Pass Through” by Joshua Shumak. The poem will be added to the Poetry Garden along the trail for future guests to enjoy.

Plant of the Week: CommonElderberry (Sambucus canadensis) blooming in roadsides, bottomland forests, creek banks, and we...
05/20/2026

Plant of the Week: CommonElderberry (Sambucus canadensis) blooming in roadsides, bottomland forests, creek banks, and wetlands. This native shrub grows across eastern North America where it’s pollinated by syrphid flies, mining bees, small carpenter bees, and small sweat bees. Several moths also pollinate the flowers at night and caterpillars of the elderberry moth (Paralobesia sambuci) feed on its foliage.

In late summer, Common Elderberry produces dark purple berries that can be used to make a pie, jam, or wine. The fruits are also eaten by many songbirds. The Cherokee used the leaves of Common Elderberry to treat burns.

American elderberry tolerates a wide variety of wet to dry soils but prefers rich, moist, slightly acidic soil in sun to partial shade.

Plants will spread by root sucker and will form thickets if the suckers are not removed. In summer, small white flowers are borne in dense clusters. Flowers are followed by a purple-black drupe that is produced in drooping clusters from late summer to fall. The fruit is edible when cooked and can be used in pies, pancakes, and jellies. Elderberry flowers and fruits are used in winemaking. Wildlife also enjoys the fruits, and the arching branches provide a habitat for nesting birds. Native bees nest in the dead, hollow stems, so gardeners are encouraged to cut back dead stems to 12 to 24 inches and allow them to remain standing until they disintegrate on their own.

Use this plant in naturalized areas, as a hedge, in a woodland, or along streams and ponds. It is a good addition to butterfly, edible, native, pollinator, or rain gardens. It is effective erosion control in moist sites. Due to the plant's suckering and unkempt appearance, it is best to use this shrub in the background of a home landscape. It does not lend itself to more formal garden settings.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It has some susceptibility to canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot, borers, spider mites, and aphids. Its branches are susceptible to damage from high winds and heavy snow or ice in winter. It can be w**dy.

Country Or Region Of Origin:
North America, Venezuela and Brazil

Wildlife Value:
Butterflies and other insects are attracted to the blooms. Its fruits are eaten by mammals and many species of songbirds. It makes an excellent nesting site for birds and provides cover for quail and pheasants. Deer browse the leaves, twigs and fruit. Dead stems are used by stem-nesting bees.
Play Value:
Attracts Pollinators,Edible fruit ,Wildlife Cover/Habitat,Wildlife Food Source

Edibility:
Cooked berries are edible and can be used in pies, pancakes, and jellies; flowers and fruits used in winemaking, marmalade, yogurt, and desserts.

Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
Resistant to heat, drought, and soil compaction.

Dimensions:
Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.

Plant Type:Edible, Native Plant, Perennial, Poisonous, Shrub, Tree
Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:Deciduous

Light:
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil Texture:Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand
Soil pH:Acid (

Butterfly house Tuesday 5/12/26 spotted Monarch eggs, Giant Swallowtail eggs, and Zebra Longwing eggs. Spicebush swallo...
05/14/2026

Butterfly house Tuesday 5/12/26 spotted Monarch eggs, Giant Swallowtail eggs, and Zebra Longwing eggs. Spicebush swallowtail and Zebra Longwing caterpillars!🐛

Plant of the week: Achillea, Yarrow, is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family (Asteraceae) and are native to N...
05/13/2026

Plant of the week: Achillea, Yarrow, is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family (Asteraceae) and are native to North America, Asia and Europe depending on the species. There are many species and hybrids of yarrows and some are evergreen. The Genus was named after the Greek mythical character Achilles whose army was said to use yarrow to heal wounds.

These plants can grow from 1-4 feet with a similar spread or more. They are generally drought tolerant and prefer full sun in well-drained soils and tolerate poor soil. Do not overfertilize or water. Wet soils will cause rot rot. In warmer climates, they may be evergreen. They spread by seeds and rhysomes and some can be aggressive. Propagate by division.
Most yarrows have flat-topped blooms in the summer and come in yellow, white, pink, orange or red. Deadheading will encourage more blooms to appear, aid in a neater appearance and reduce the number of seeds. They generally have attractive feathery aromatic leaves.
These plants can be used at the front of the border, in a cutting garden, a pollinator garden, as a ground cover and used dried.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Rust, stem rot and powdery mildew may affect the plants' health. Weak stems may cause the plant to dislodge.

Life Cycle:Perennial
Recommended Propagation Strategy:Division, Seed,
Country Or Region Of Origin:Europe, western Asia, North America
Wildlife Value:Butterflies and songbirds are attracted.
Play Value:Attracts Pollinators
Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):Deer and rabbit resistant
Dimensions:Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in., Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Plant Type:Ground Cover, Herbaceous Perennial, Perennial
Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:Deciduous
Habit/Form:Creeping, Erect, Horizontal, Spreading
Growth Rate:Medium
Maintenance:Medium

Light:Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil Texture:Sand
Soil pH:Acid (

Address

3030 Cypress Gardens Rd
Moncks Corner, SC
29461

Telephone

(843) 553-0515

Website

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