Dogwood
The flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is a small, deciduous tree that is native to the eastern and central United States. Dogwoods grow naturally as understory trees and prefer a cool, moist site. They can reach up to 30’ high, with an almost equivalent spread.

The shape and branch patterns of dogwoods make them attractive even without leaves. Still, it is to the yellowish-green flowers
surrounded by white bracts that most people attribute their beauty. Dogwoods provide
interest all year round with flowers in May, rich green leaves followed by dark red or reddish purple autumn foliage, and red fruit that can be retained into the winter. The fruit provides food for birds.

Wood Duck
The wood duck (Aix sponsa) is commonly found in wooded swamps and along stream edges. Wood ducks are widespread year-round throughout the U.S. and can be seen as far north as Canada and as far south as Cuba. The male wood duck displays colorful plumage during breeding season, but becomes more gray when it is not breeding. The female wood duck is mostly gray with white around the eye and iridescent blue on the wings. The wood duck is the only North American duck species that commonly breeds twice a year.

Wood ducks usually nest in trees near or above the water, but will also nest in boxes provided for them. Once they have hatched, the ducklings jump down from their nests and head towards the water. Wood ducklings can jump from nests over 200 feet off the ground, without any harm.

Carolina Wren
The Carolina Wren (Thryonthorus ludovicianus) is a common songbird found in Charleston Place and throughout the southeastern United States. It is a small, fluffy bird with a white stripe over its eye and rusty coloring. Carolina Wrens can often be seen holding their tails upward.

The males sing a loud song that sounds a bit like “tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle.” Males and females form bonds and stay together for life. They can often be seen foraging for food together.

The nest of the Carolina Wren is a dome shaped cup with a side entrance. They tend to build their nests in a wide range of habitats and are just as likely to be found on a mailbox as they are in dense branches. The eggs of the Carolina Wren are creamy white with small brown spots.

Striped Bass
The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is a finfish that can be found in the southeastern United States. It has been introduced in many large inland reservoirs, such as Lake
Greenwood, for recreational fishing. Striped bass are abundant in Lake Greenwood.

Generally, striped bass spawn in fresh water and then spend most of their lives in saltwater (estuaries are particularly good habitats for them). The fish can also thrive in fresh water for their entire lives, as is the case at Lake Greenwood. The striped bass (aka striper or rockfish) can be identified by the seven or eight stripes that run along its sides. Adult striped bass can live as long as 30 years and grow to be over five feet in length and weigh 100 pounds.

White Oak
The White Oak (Quercus alba) is a large
hardwood tree that can grow up to 100’ tall with a trunk that can be several feet in
diameter. It is found throughout the United States, but is most common in the East.

The acorns of the white oak provide a
valuable food source for all types of wildlife. These trees also provide some of the most valuable lumber of the white oak group. It is often used to make barrels.

White oaks are long living, but are also slow growers. A 80-100’ tall tree could be up to 100 years old. The white oak is also difficult to transplant and doesn’t respond well to
disturbance. For these reasons, it is not planted as much as the red oak. White oaks can be identified by their multi-lobed leaves with curved margins. Red oaks’ lobes end with a point.

Beech Tree
The American Beech tree (Fagus grandifolia) is a medium-sized tree found on moist or seasonally wet sites throughout the eastern United States. Generally reaching from 60-80 feet tall, the tree is characterized by smooth gray bark, often mottled with white. The leaves of a beech tree have distinct veins, creating “teeth” along the edges. They are a shiny green, turning bronze and then a weathered tan by winter. Most of the leaves fall off this deciduous hardwood in the winter, but some may be retained on smaller branches.

The American beech is an important tree for wildlife. The nuts are eaten by small mammals, ducks, deer, fox and some birds. Hollows in the tree also provide shelter for small animals.