Rocky River Nature Park is home to an incredible range of native plants, animals, and wetland habitats. This page gives you an inside look at the species that make this urban ecosystem so special. Explore our documented flora and fauna lists, learn about the park’s rich biodiversity, and share your own observations to help us keep our records growing!
iNaturalist is a free online platform and mobile app where people record and share observations of plants and animals. It helps users identify species, contribute to scientific research, and support biodiversity conservation through community collaboration.
eBird is a free online platform created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that allows birdwatchers to record and share their sightings.
Rocky River Nature Park is home to an incredible range of fauna. From quiet wetlands and shaded forests to flowing river corridors, the park provides habitat for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and more. As the largest protected urban wetland in Upstate South Carolina, RRNP gives visitors a rare chance to see wild species up close without leaving the city.
Explore the fauna categories below to learn more about the animals that have been identified in the park.
Rocky River Nature Park is home to a diverse collection of native plants that support the health and balance of the entire ecosystem. Wetland grasses, hardwoods, wildflowers, and understory shrubs all work together to provide food, shelter, and habitat for the park’s wildlife. These plants also play a vital role in water filtration, erosion control, and maintaining the natural beauty of the wetlands.
Explore the plant categories below to learn more about the species that have been identified throughout the park.
White Oak, Quercus alba – Widespread, but not on very wet or dry sites
Northern Red Oak, Quercus rubra – Moist to drier upland forests
Southern Red Oak, Quercus falcata – West and south-facing ridges
Water Oak, Quercus nigra – Moist to drier sites
Willow Oak, Quercus phellos – Moist sites
Post Oak, Quercus stellata – Drier upland forests
Chestnut Oak, Quercus montana – Drier upland sites
Mockernut Hickory, Carya tomentosa – Moist to dry forests
Pignut Hickory, Carya glabra – Moist to dry forests
American Beech, Fagus grandifolia – Moist forests; shade-tolerant
Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis – Moist; understory shade
Tulip Poplar or Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera – Moist and dry sites; shade intolerant
Sweet Gum, Liquidamber styraciflua – Moist woods
Winged Elm, Ulmus alata – Moist to dry woods
Black Willow, Salix nigra – Along rivers, streams and ponds
Red Maple, Acer rubrum – Widespread – wet to dry sites
Loblolly Pine, Pinus taeda – Moist to dry sites; farmed extensively
Shortleaf Pine, Pinus echinate – Drier forests
Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora – Moist, well-drained forests
Tag Alder, Alnus serrulate – Alluvial forests
River Birch, Betula nigra – Alluvial forests
Box Elder, Acer negundo – Alluvial forests; moist habitats
Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana – Tolerates all but deep shade and standing water
Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboretum – Moist to drier understory tree
Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis – Alluvial forests
Cottonwood, Populus heterophylla – Alluvial forests
Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida – Moist to dry woods; understory tree
Winged Sumac, Rhus copallinum – Dry sites; edge
Painted Buckeye, Aesculus sylvatica
Horse Sugar or Sweetleaf, Symplocos tinctorial
Lowbush Blueberry, Vaccinium pallidum
Poison Oak, Toxicodendron pubescens
Hairy Bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta
Bluets, Houstonia caerulea
Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule
Dead Nettle, Lamium purpureum
Chickweed, Stellaria media
Wild Violet, Viola spp.
Purple Vetch, Vicia americana
Green and Gold, Chrysogonum virginianum
Dog Fennel, Eupatorium capillifolium
Giant or River Cane, Arundinaria gigantea – Aluvial forests
Cross Vine, Bignonia capreolata
Muscadine, Vitis rotundifolia
Poison Ivy, Toxicodendron radicans – Mesic to dry forests; edges
Common Greenbrier, Smilax rotundifolia – Moist to dry forests; edges
Smilax spp. – Moist to dry forests; edges
Ebony Spleenwort, Asplenium platyneuron – Moist forests
Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides – Moist to dry forests
Japanese Honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica – Woody vine; edges
Russian Olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia – Shrub, edges
Silverthorn, Elaeagnus pungens – Shrub, edges
Nonnative Wisteria (Chinese or Japanese), Wisteria sinensis; floribunda, Woody vine, edges
Privet (Chinese or Japanese), Ligustrum sinense; japonicum – Shrubs, lowland; upland; edges
Callery or Bradford Pear, Pyrus calleryana – Tree, moist and dry forests, fields, edges
Coontail, Ceratophyllum demersum – Floating or loosely rooted
Common Cattail, Typha latifolia – Emergent
Arrowhead, Sagittaria spp. – Emergent
Arrow Arum, Peltandra virginica – Emergent
Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata – Emergent
Lizard’s Tail, Saururus cernuus – Emergent
Smartweeds, Polygonum spp. – Emergent
Pennyworts, Hydrocotyle spp. – Emergent; alluvial soils
Parrot-feather, Myriophyllum aquaticum – Submergent; rooted; invasive introduction
Common Reed, Phragmites australis – Emergent reed
Sedges, Carex spp. – Emergent
Bulrushes, Scirpus spp. – Emergent
Rushes, Juncus spp. – Emergent
