Every summer, Upstate hiking trails offer a delicious surprise. Wild blackberries ripen along trail edges, giving hikers a chance to enjoy one of nature’s sweetest rewards while exploring the outdoors. Here’s how to spot them, know when they’re ripe, and harvest responsibly.
Poison ivy is one of the most common plants in Upstate South Carolina—and one of the most misunderstood. Learn how to identify it year-round, what to do if you accidentally touch it on the trail, and the simple steps that can help prevent an itchy rash.
Discover one of Clemson’s best-kept secrets at the South Carolina Botanical Garden. Explore nearly 300 acres of scenic trails, historic buildings, peaceful ponds, native wildlife, colorful gardens, and hidden woodland treasures—all with free admission.
What looks like a peaceful green hillside may actually be a battle for survival. Introduced to America with good intentions, kudzu was once promoted as a solution to soil erosion across the South. Instead, it became one of the region’s most infamous invasive plants, swallowing forests, fence lines, abandoned farmsteads, and even entire buildings beneath a blanket of vines. Discover how “the vine that ate the South” transformed the landscape of Pickens County and why its legacy continues to shape the Upstate today.
Every summer, bright orange daylilies transform the roadsides of Pumpkintown and the Table Rock foothills into ribbons of color. Most people admire their beauty, but few realize these flowers may be living reminders of forgotten homes, farms, and communities that once dotted the landscape. Discover the history behind the Upstate’s famous “ditch lilies” and why they continue blooming long after the people who planted them are gone.
Every summer, thousands of small white flowers appear along the roadsides of Pumpkintown and the Table Rock area. Known as daisy fleabane, these native wildflowers provide important habitat for pollinators and have a fascinating history stretching back to early settlers.