THE SANDHILLS HABITAT Sandhills are an inland habitat type, characterized by rolling hills capped by deep coarse sands. They are wedged between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions of North and South Carolina and Georgia. Scientists believe sandhills were formed by ancient oceans that rose and then receded in response to melting and freezing of polar ice caps. Beaches formed wherever the water met the land. Each time a beach formed, dune lines were left behind when the ocean receded. PLANT LIFE: Because sandhills contain dry, nutrient-poor soil, this habitat contains only plants adapted to such harsh conditions. Turkey oak and longleaf pine trees are typical sandhills tree species. The root systems of these two species allow them to extract water from various soil depths. These trees are also well adapted to the frequent, lightning-induced fires that strike sandhills. Longleaf pines have a thick, fire-resistant bark, and turkey oaks that are burned above ground will resprout because
the fire does not damage their root systems. Several fire-resistant grass species also inhabit sandhills, including wiregrass, sorghastrum, broomsedge and threeawn grass.
tortoises are keystone species- Other animals and plants in. the habitat are affected by tortoise activities. Other animals, as gopher frogs, several species of snakes and several small mammals, use tortoise burrows on a regular basis.
WILDLIFE Sandhills support many reptile and amphibian species that are adapted to the habitat's dry, sandy conditions. The gopher tortoise, which is a state-listed threatened species in South Carolina and Georgia, digs underground burrows in sandhills. The burrows are typically 20 to 30 feet long and from 6 to 8 feet deep. Gopher tortoises eat sandhills grasses and berries, and may even help distribute such vegetation throughout sandhills by spreading plant seeds in their feces. Also, gopher
Other reptiles and amphibians that inhabit sandhills include broadhill skinks,oak toads,sixlined racerunner lizards,glass lizards and hognose snakes. Mammals that inhabit sandhills include whitetailed deer,opossums,gray foxes,bobcats,fox squirrels and cotton tailed rabbits. Birds include the mourning dove,sparrow hawk, red-tailed hawk and wild turkey. RESEARCH Since the early 1950's, scientists at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory have conducted
a variety of animal and plant studies in sandhills of the 310square-mile Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C. Studies have included plant and animal inventories, forest dynamics, longleaf pine/ wiregrass restoration, fire ecology of the sandhills and the ecology of southern hognose snakes. Recently, scientists have confirmed that periodic fires - whether they be lightning induced or prescribed burning by forest managers - increase plant biodiversity in the sandhills. Fire returns nutrients to the nutrient-poor sandhill soils and temporarily creates more open space that allows new species to become established. Research has shown an increase in both the number of plant species and the number of individual plants. Scientists say such increases mean there is a potential for increase in the number of animal species that inhabit sandhills.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The sandhills support one of the remaining strongholds of longleaf pine in the entire southeastern United States. Longleaf pines were once the dominant tree species in the Southeast. Much of the virgin longleaf pine forests of the region were cut by 1930; the wood produced timber, tar, pitch and turpentine.
Sand depths in sandhills can reach as deep as 60 meters (198 feet). About 800 hectares (1,976 acres) of the 310 square-mile Savannah River Site support sandhills vegetation.
Plant species diversity increases for about seven years after a fire in a sandhills forest.
The seeds of two sandhills grass species, wire grass and Indian grass, have awns that may help them penetrate the sandy soil and promote germination. They have also adapted to summer soil temperatures that measure as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit.(49.5 degrees Celsius) at two inches below the surface.
An average of 24 different insect families inhabit the sandhills. Families include ants, roaches and beetles
Where To See Representative Sites
About 45,000 acres of sandhills are found in the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge in Chesterfield County, S.C., near McBee. Call 803-335-8401.
About 45,000 more acres of sandhills are found in the Sandhills State Forest, also in Chesterfield County, S.C. Call 803-498-6478.
More information is also available from the South Carolina Heritage Trust, a division of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Call 803-734-3918.
Information provided by: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Outreach Office and the Student Partners in Anphibian and Reptile Conservation Program www.uga.edu/srel/outreach.htm
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LANDSCAPE USING PALMS 1.Palms ALW AYS make more of a statement than do other kinds of trees or plants, 2. Decide what kind of statement that you want to make: A. recreation of the Rain Forest B. evocation of the beach environment C. entertainment landscaping like for a Theme Park D. elegant and understated for fine architecture E. plant display as an end in itself 3. Since we have a limited palette to work with (not many different species of palms), placement and repetition of the trees is more important than lots of variation that would be possible in South Florida. 4. Informal Plantings: A. Plant the same palm in groupings of odd numbers with varying heights to maintain interest. B. Imitate nature. C. Avoid straight lines. The palms we can grow don't readily lend themselves to straight lines like Royal Palms do. D. Plant palms where the best cultural condtions prevail so that they don't become a maintenance irritant. E. Use palms with compatible plants for an effective look. 5. Formal Plantings: A. Avoid straight lines, but shoot for balance, harmony, and symmetry, B. Palms are bold take advantage of the size and texture of the leaves and trunk. C. Maintain the palms in peak condition. D. Use the palms for framing of a vista or building. Maintainance of Palms in the Landscape 1. Learn and execute good maintenance practices. 2. Remember, palms cannot he pruned in the usual sense of the term, so don't crowd them against each other, against buildings, or where their foliage will interfere with parking and the safe passage of vehicles especially when the trees are young. 3. Palms are relatively permanent. There are Sabal palmettos in Augusta, GA that are 100 years old and thriving. Do the right thing at the beginning and you will be rewarded for decades. 4. All our palms reseed prolifically. Seedlings may be moved on just about all the species that we grow except
Sabal and Serenoa. When they come up, you might as well throw them away. (If you want to grow the seeds, it is fairly easy to do).
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School PALMS Brahea
armata decumbens moorei From Dr. Merrill Wilcox (B. dulcis x B. brandgeii) Sp. 'Super Silver' (Mexico) (died - 2014, 13F)
Butia
bonnettii eriospatha odorata x jubaea chilensis odorata x syagrus romanzoffianum (died - 2014, 13F) purpurescens odorata yatay Chamaedorea 'Douglas Delight' (C. radicalis x C. oreophila)
Chamaerops
humilis humilis 'argentata' (cerifera) humilis'vulcano' humilis 'macrocarpa' humilis'microcarpa' Guihaia argyrata Livistona nitida (died, Jan. 2014 - 13F) chinensis N annorrhops ritchiana 'Kashmir' Phoenix dactylifera (died, Jan. 2014 - 13F) Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Sabal
palmetto minor louisiana
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School PALMS Sabal
rosei mexicana tamaulipas T-17M-55s-112189 (seed from Yuccado) etonia maritima (foliage damage every winter, 2015 removed) causiarum palmetto x causiarum uresana (silver and green forms) 'Riverside' x texensis pumos (foliage damage every winter) palmetto seedlings from the Ga. Record tree in St. Mary's, GA
'Birmingham' bermudana domingensis (foliage damage every winter) Trachycarpus
fortuneii Manipur (died, Jan. 2014 - 13F) nanus fortuneii'Tesan' (Naples Bot. Garden) Trithrinax campestris (died, July, 2014 ve] copious rainfall)
Serenoa
repens (green and silver)
Silver from Hobe Sound, Florida Washingtonia filifera robusta Unknown (could be filibusta)
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School CITRUS COLLECTION: Smooth Flat Seville (sour orange) (heavily damaged 2014,2015) Chinotto sour orange (heavily damaged 2014,2015) Nippon Orangequat Meiwa kumquat Six-degree kumquat Ichang lemon
Procimequat (orange and yellow) Unknown sour orange: Marjorie Keenan Rawlings Estate, Gainesville, FL (heavily damaged 2014,2015) Satsuma Poncirus trifoliata regular and flying dragon Citrus junos Yuzuquat Thomasville citrangequat Thomasville x clemyuze Calamandarin (mostly dead after Jan., 2014) Ichangensis . Gou Tou (heavily damaged 2014,2015) Taiwaniana x ichang Juanita tangerine Morton Citrange Swingle Citrumelo Keraji Mandarin (some damage in 2014) X paradise (3 cold-hardy types: Augusta, Port Royal, SC)
CYCADS: Ceratozamia hildae
Cycas revoluta x taitungensis
Ceratozamia kuesteriana
Cycas guizhouensis x taitungensis
Cycas revoluta
Cycas revoluta x guizhouensis
Cycas taitungensis
Dioon edule
Cycas panzhihuaensis
Zamia integrifolia
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School HOLLY COLLECTION: Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red' (male?) Dan Fenton (Ilex opaca) Jersey Knight (Ilex opaca M)
BAMBOOS: Phyllostachys
angusta bambusoides nIgra
Arthur Bruner - cornuta x latifolia (male)
bissettii
Edward J. Stevens - aquifolium x cornuta (male)
aurea
Hohman aquifolium x latifolia (koehneana hybrid F)
aureosulcata
Loch Raven - aquifolium x latifolia M Lydia Morris - cornuta x pernyi pentagonal spiny leaf F
vrvax viridis 'Robert Young'
Mary Nell - cornuta x latifolia x pernyi F
Sasa palmata
Ilex x Wirt L Winn ? F
Sasaella masamunian var. albostriata
Emily Bruner ?
Chimonobambusa marmorea
Sam Souder?
Arundinaria amabilis 'Tonkin Cane'
Kronenberg #2 (opaca) F
Indocalamus tessellata
Tom Dodd hybrids (unnamed latifolia hybrids)
Pseudosasa japonica
Ilex vomitoria - weeping and dwarf
Hibanobambusa tranquillans 'shiroshima'
Ilex purpurescens (chinensis) M + F
Bambusa ventricosa 'Buddha's Belly'
Ilex cornuta rotunda x 'Berries Jubilee' Ilex x Koehneana
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School TREES: Eucalyptus
nicolai
Quercus
CInerea
geminata Sand Hills Live Oak
polyanthemos viminalis died, 2014)
Diospyros
kaki (Japanese Persimmon)
(citriodora
Saijo
gunnn
Tanenashi
Two unknown species
Fuyu
Lagerstroemia indica
Michelia figo
'Byers White'
Olea europaea Arbequina and a local variety
'Carolina Beauty'
Acer
(pink, watermelon, purple)
Magnolia
virginiana Live Oak
japonica 'Full Moon' palmatum (various seedlings)
faurei x indica 'Muscogee' 'Natchez'
Erythrina crista-galli
'Tuscarora'
Araucaria araucana
grandiflora grandiflora 'Little Gem' grandiflora 'Little Gem' seedlings Bracken's Brown Beauty' virginiana'dwarf
CAMELLIAS: C. japonica types Grand Slam - dark red, large to very large, mid-season Semi-double Marie Bracey coral rose, large, early - mid-season, peony Semi-double Wildwood It. pink, large, mid-late season, Semi-double
Adolph Audusson var. dark red/white, mid-season Semi-double Tiffany It. coral pink, large - very large, mid-season peony Don Mack dark red, mid-late season, Semi-double Pink Lightbulb salmon rose pink Drama Girl very large, Semi-double, mid-season Mrs. Lawrence Bradley white, large, Semi-double, m-l Big Beauty white, blotch-pink dash, Semi-double, peony
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School: SAND HILLS AND XERIC PLANTS: Opuntias
(cactus from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Georgia and Florida) strigil kleiniae leptocaulis drummondi humifusa ammophyla (from Central Florida) aciculate dilleii engelmanii 'alto' linguiformis (cow's tongue cactus) macro centra (purple tinged prickly pear) macrorhiza phaeacantha scheeri
trichophora (N. Mexico - Las Cruces) Burbank spineless Sp. Violacea Sp. Yellow spines Ormond-by-the-Sea Hybrid (Cameron parish) Red Flower Brunei, TX (orange spines)
Tan spines, Longulin, NV San Gabriel Mtns., CA Gordanton, TX Biscuit Cactus
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School: SAND HILLS AND XERIC PLANTS Professor Sergeant - dark red, medium, full peony, mid-season Blue Danube - williamsii x japonica) Henry Huntington -It. pink/semi-double, 1- vI, e - In Jeffrey Hood - deep pink/semi-double; irreg. petal, 1- vl, E-m Katie - semi-double/ coral rose-pink; VL, e - m
Gigantea (Emperor Wilhelm) - red marbled white/ semi-double; 1 - vl, M Governor Mouton - peony/red, white splotches Lady Van Sittart - semi-double white flushed rose Empress - semi-double, med. Pink w / yellow stamens Betty Sheffield Coral- coral pink/semi-double, loose peony M - L, Mid. Tama No Ura - red and white, single, small, Early C. sasanqua
Mine no Uke Apple Blossom
Thea sinensis-variegata Variegated Tea Conradina canescens Short leaved rosemary (lavender fl.) Clinopodium dentatum Scarlet Calamint Aristida beyrichianum Wiregrass Baptisia
australis lanceolata
Pinus
clausa (central Florida Sand Pine palustris (longleaf pine) taeda (loblolly pine) Acacia species
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School SAND HILLS AND XERIC PLANTS Agave
americana
Agave
Americana 'Opal'
parryi 'J.C. Raulston'
proto americana
salmiana
lechuguilla
'Sharkskin Shoes'
lophantha (variegated and regular)
'Jacksonville Blue'
utahensis
potrerana
havardiana celsii
'Huasteca Giant'
victoria - reginae
ovatifolia 'Sierra Lampazos'
gentryi 'Jaws' (one melted at 13F)
ovatifolia 'Vanzie'
neomexicana
salmi ana var. ferox x asperrima Aloe saponaria Soap Aloe Adenium Sab Jaren Yellow Dasylirion wheeleri Euphorbia millii 'Thai Hybrids' Hesperaloe funifera N olina nelsonii
Yucca
parryi
aloifolia gloriosa
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School: SHRUBS Ardisia crenata Aesculus sylvatica Bartram Callistemon
citrinus (heavily damaged 2014,2015) rigidus pallidus rigidus 'Clemson Hardy'
Cestrum diurnum x C. nocturnum (Orange Peel) Cleyera japonica-variegata Fatsiajaponica 'Spider's Web' Ficus auriculata (roxburgii) Gardenia
fortunei brighamii Edgeworthia papyfifera Ligustrum japonicum Illicium mexicanum or henryi
Nerium oleander (white, double pink, pale yellow, single pink, 'Hawaii', sunset colors from Dallas) Gardenia (five varieties) Pittosporum tobira (variegated) Plumbago
auriculata Leadwort auriculata 'Royal Cape' Prunus laurocerasus English Laurel Raphiolepis sp. Indian Hawthorne
Rhododendron Southgate 'Brandi' and 'Breezy'
Rosmarinus officinalis Common Rosemary Nandina domestica Clerodendron speciossisimum Pagoda Flower Jasminum mesnyi Primrose Jasmine Feijoa sellowiana Pineapple Guava Nandina domestica Osmanthus fragrans Fragrant Tea Olive white and orange
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School: SHRUBS Osmanthus x fortunei Fall Blooming Osmanthus Photinia x fraseri Red Tip Photinia Roses:
David Austin Types 'William Shakespeare' 'Jude the Obscure'
PLUMERIA: (All stored indoors for the winter) Aztec Gold Kauka Wilder Guillot Sunset Obtusa (white) Numerous others (seedlings
PERENNIALS: Acanthus 'Summer Beauty'
Acanthus mollis- Reut, Israel Alocasia 'Calidora' Canna (seedlings from Brazil by way of the Netherlands) Chrysanthemum 'Gethsemane Moonlight' Colocasia
esculenta 'Nancy's Revenge' esculenta 'Mojito' esculenta 'Maui Gold' esculenta 'Black Coral'
Colocasia
gigantea 'Laosy Giant' gigantea 'Thailand Giant'
Crinum x (,JC Harvey' x Crinum scabrum) Ellen Bosanquet Crinum 'Parfait' (Crinum scabrum x Crinum x powellii var. krelagei) Crinum 'White' - two different varieties
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School: PERENNIALS Dryopteris koidzumiana Equisetum giganteum 'EI Tabacal' Hedychium
coronarium coccmeum Dr. Moy Heliconia schiedeana 'Fire and Ice'
Hymenocallis caribaea 'Superstar' Iris Tulbaghia violacea Society Garlic Musella lasiocarpa Musa
'Praying Hands' 'Picasso' Banana Uniola paniculata Sea Oats Elymus arenarius 'Blue Dune' Blue Dune Grass
VINES: Trachelospermum jasminoides
Confederate Jasmine
asiaticum Star Jasmine difforme Climbing Dogbane Campsis x tagliabuana
Madame Galen Trumpet Vine
Plant list and all notes by: Joe Levert Photographs by: Victoria Hawley
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School:
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Plant Collection at Aquinas High School:
University of Georgia and Notre Dame graduate, Joe Levert has been busily planting, growing, propagating and tending to his Aquinas garden for over 37 years.
During that time, He has helped in the creation of a selection of plants that thrive in the Sandhills habitat. The Aquinas garden hosts an impressive collection of over 50 species of palms, over 23 varieties of citrus trees, at least 10 cycads,18 varieties of hollies, 16 varieties of bamboo, 33 different species of trees, over 11 camellia varieties, 25 different cactus, 21 agave, 32 shrubs and 28 perennials. Joe frequently hosts two hour tours and this month, he guided a group of Master Gardeners through this incredible example of plants that can thrive in the Sandhill environment. He is available for tours during the year and may be reached at: jlevert@aquinashigh.org. More photos and list of plants of the garden tour are available on request. victoriahawleymastergardener@outlook.com