Pollinators of the Lowcountry

Much of the landscaping you see around Hilton Head is ornamental. It’s beautiful, but it offers little food or shelter for the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that keep the Lowcountry’s ecosystem running. The good news: there’s a real, active community here working to change that through native plant gardens, hands-on classes, and citizen-science projects anyone can join. This page is a starting point for learning, visiting, planting, and even helping when pollinators or their habitat are under threat.

Learn

  • Coastal Discovery Museum, Butterfly Learning Station. Free, drop-in program at the Karen Wertheimer Butterfly Habitat. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10–11am, June through August. 70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 No registration required. coastaldiscovery/onsite
  • Coastal Discovery Museum, Nature Up Close. Paid, seasonal series of single-session programs on Lowcountry plants, animals, and habitats. Recent topics include native plants, butterflies, and invasive threats to native species. Dates and pricing vary by program. coastaldiscovery/upclose
  • Palmetto Bluff Conservancy. Structured and informal tours, classes, and workshops covering the Lowcountry’s ecosystems including insect/wildflower programs, birding, native flora, and more. Palmetto Bluff is a private, gated community, access is through the gate when signed up for a program, or visiting to dine, shop, or golf. palmettobluff.com/conservation, info@pbconservancy.org
  • South Coast Chapter, SC Native Plant Society. Covers Beaufort County, including Beaufort, Port Royal, and Hilton Head. Monthly meetings (fourth Monday, 6pm) at the Clemson Extension Service Office, 18 John Galt Rd, Beaufort, SC. Free, public field trips led by expert members. Hikes, boat tours, seed collections, plant rescues, invasive eradication, and plant surveys, for all experience levels. Membership isn’t required to participate, but members get early sign-up access to field trips and plant sales. scnps.org
  • Lowcountry Master Gardener Association (Hilton Head chapter). Free Wednesday morning Plant Clinic on HHI (539 William Hilton Pkwy), with Clemson soil sample drop-off. Also offers “Rent a Master Gardener” home consultations. lowcountrymga.org
  • Beaufort Bees. One-on-one beekeeping mentorship and hive consultations. Serves Beaufort, Hilton Head, Bluffton, Charleston, and surrounding Lowcountry areas. Call or text 904-803-4079. beaufortbees.com

Visit

  • Coastal Discovery Museum, Gardens & Grounds. Beyond the trails, the 68-acre Honey Horn grounds are home to genuinely well-done horticultural sites worth slowing down for: the Heritage Garden (30+ plant species tied to Lowcountry history, from Native American use to Gullah agriculture), a collection of specimen trees including a 400+ year-old Southern Red Cedar and live oaks planted in the early 1800s, and the Manske Camellia Garden, best seen blooming October through March. Everything is well-labeled with interpretive panels, and it’s a genuinely peaceful walk. Free admission. 70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. coastaldiscovery.org
  • Palmetto Bluff Conservancy. Native plant demonstration garden (est. 2019), a rain garden (scarlet hibiscus, seashore mallow, aquatic milkweed), and a pollinator garden (spotted beebalm, coral honeysuckle, and more) full of native species that draw bees, wasps, and other pollinators. Access is through the gate when signed up for a program, or visiting to dine, shop, or golf. 655 Old Moreland Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910. palmettobluff.com info@pbconservancy.org
  • BeeTopia (Savannah Bee Company). An observation hive and bee garden offering guided tours: a Bee Garden Tour (hive walkthrough + honey tasting) and a longer Full Bee Experience with honey and mead tastings (21+ for the mead portion). Booking required, closes online 24 hours in advance. Call ahead for day-of or larger groups. Does not sell hives. 313 Stiles Ave, Savannah, GA 31405. 800-955-5080. Beetopia
  • Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, Butterfly Garden. A lovely butterfly garden maintained by the Lowcountry Master Gardener Association, part of the larger Pinckney Island refuge on Hwy 278 between Bluffton and Hilton Head Island. Worth pairing with the rest of what Pinckney has to offer. Guided tours available through Coastal Discovery Museum, 843-689-6767 ext. 223.
  • Sea Pines Forest Preserve, Warner W. Plahs Wildflower Field. A fenced wildflower field just off Fish Island Trail, replanted yearly with a custom mix of 14 wildflower species. About a 5-minute walk around the perimeter. While you can’t walk into the field itself (which keeps it undisturbed), it’s a lovely spot to watch bees, butterflies, and other pollinators at work. small but pretty, and worth pairing with the rest of a Forest Preserve visit. Gate fee applies to enter Sea Pines.

Support Pollinators through Retail Therapy

Most of these vendors sell more than honey. Moisturizers, soaps, candles, balms, and other bee products are common alongside the honey itself.

  • Coastal Discovery Museum, Annual Spring Native Plant Sale, staffed by CDM personnel, volunteers, and Master Gardeners. Cash or check only. Next sale: Saturday, March 27, 2027, 10am–1pm. Also, their very own honey is available for purchase inside the museum. 70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. coastaldiscovery/plants
  • Beaufort Bees, Beehives for sale, plus local honey and products. Call or text 904-803-4079. beaufortbees.com/beehives
  • BeeTopia (Savannah Bee Company), Honey, mead, and bee-related products, available in-store. 313 Stiles Ave, Savannah, GA 31405. savannahbee.com
  • Edisto Gold Honey, Beekeeper Mark Connelly, places his hives along the Edisto River in partnership with local farms, built on the idea that healthy bees and healthy land are part of the same equation. Certified South Carolina honey, sold at the Bluffton Farmers Market. EdistoGoldHoney.com
  • Church of the Cross (Bluffton), Holy Honey. A genuinely fun bit of local history: in 1991, a swarm of bees living in the church’s bell tower wall had to be relocated during a roof repair. With the church’s blessing, a local beekeeper moved them to hives in Beaufort. The resulting honey has been known as “Holy Honey” ever since. Guided history tours Tuesday–Thursday, 11am–2pm, when Holy Honey is available for purchase; it can also be bought anytime at the parish offices on Buckwalter Parkway.
  • Hilton Head House of Honey. A honey bar in Coligny Plaza stocking dozens of local, raw honey varieties, along with honey sticks and other bee-themed gifts. 1 N Forest Beach Dr, Suite E-3, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. 843-258-0035. Hilton Head House of Honey

Relocation and Removal

  • Beaufort Bees — Humane honeybee removal and relocation from homes and businesses, serving the Lowcountry. Call or Text 904-803-4079. beaufortbees/removal
  • Clemson Invasive Species Program — Report sightings of species that threaten Lowcountry pollinators and native habitat, including the yellow-legged hornet (a predator of honeybee colonies and other pollinators) and cogongrass (a federally regulated invasive weed that crowds out native plants). Reports feed the state’s tracking efforts. This isn’t an on-call removal service. They may group nest removals but they do offer advice in the meantime. Visit: Clemson’s info and reporting page Contact: Matthew Howle, Invasive Species Program Manager, 864-646-2140, mhowle@clemson.edu.