Listen to the podcast here:
Subscribe or download this episode on Libsyn, iTunes or Spotify.
1. Venus Fly Trap
Surely the most well known of all carnivorous plants. The plant that traps flies and gobbles them up, seen in films, on posters and in some areas of North or South Carolina where it’s now considered endangered. Grown at home, they are pretty easy to keep but don’t be tempted to feed with dead flies, as they still need to be alive for the trap to work!
2. Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida is the official state flower and can be found pretty much all around from the mountains to the coast and everywhere in between. Flowering Dogwoods need to grow in well-drained soil with lots of organic matter and very little pruning, so a great plant to grow.
3. Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora is known as the southern Magnolia and is native to the southeastern US, from north Carolina to east Texas. During spring, urban streets and larger landscapes are lifted with the goblet or star shaped flowers and generally grow anywhere in the world. There is a Magnolia for every garden from sun to shade and container grown.
4. Rudbeckia
Known as the Cone Flower and Black Eyed Susan, this lovely perennial is a magnet to many insects and in North Carolina it grows as a biennial, seen along roadsides and in wildlife friendly gardens. Enjoying sun or part shade, this is a great choice if you garden on clay soil.
5. Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia compressa is native to the coastal plains of South Carolina and has become far more popular as a houseplant in recent years, most likely due to it being all over social media. The fruits are edible but watch your fingers because until the spines or barbs are burnt off you’ll end up with them in your fingers. An easy plant to care for in direct sunlight and the fruits can be found in candy, or eaten raw.
The Plant Based Podcast 