From afar a garden of native plants can look a little non-traditional — there are, for the most part, no electric colors or exotic-looking flowers — but a growing number of South Carolina gardeners are championing their benefits.

The South Carolina Native Plant Society is a leader in this shift, with more than 1,800 members looking to spread the word about the plants’positive effects on local ecosystems. The organization also engages in legislative advocacy, preservation of biodiversity and education about native plant species. 

Master gardener Donald McInnes, Midlands chapter president, has seen marked growth in interest in native plants. The growth is both through an increase in members and in a greater curiosity from the public. The chapter now has about 270 members. But when McInnes first joined, there were fewer than 20. 

“It’s much more popular. People are doing it because they’re concerned about pollinators,” McInnes said. “They want to see butterflies and fireflies in their gardens. The native plants are also, for the most part, often easier to grow than some of the exotics.” 

Invasive species such as nandinas or Japanese honeysuckle are “the second-greatest threat to biodiversity and ecosystems after human-caused habitat destruction,” according to the South Carolina Native Plant Society website.  

Jordan Houser, the society’s Midlands chapter representative, said the organization has been a great way for her to meet others passionate about gardening and sustainability. 

“It’s nice to be around a bunch of like-minded people that understand the importance of taking care of their ecosystems,” Houser said. “We share the world and our ecosystems, and we take care of each other – human and non-(human).” 

The organization holds various events to promote its mission, including two plant sales a year. This fall’s plant sale, held Oct. 26 at Hunter-Gatherer Brewery at The Hangar, in the Rosewood neighborhood. It drew a crowd of gardeners, families and vendors.

All Good Books and West Columbia-based plant nursery Primitive by Design were among the vendors. The Native Plant Society also sold merchandise and small plants. 

But the event drew more than just local businesses. Greenville’s Blue Oak Horticulture, run by husband-and-wife team Ryan and Carrie Merck, also was selling seasonal native plants. The Mercks are known within the community as the hosts of the annual South Carolina Pawpaw Festival. 

They said Blue Oak also helps gardeners reduce their environmental impact. 

“Being in a garden with life, with butterflies, with birds, that’s what makes a garden worth being in to me,” Ryan Merck said. “That’s kind of like the driving force for us.”