November in South Carolina brings cooler weather, but your garden doesn’t have to stop blooming! Many flowers and shrubs actually thrive during this time, adding beautiful colors and textures to your yard.
No matter if you’re a beginner gardener or have been growing plants for years, knowing which ones do well in November can help you create a stunning autumn landscape that neighbors will admire.
1. Sasanqua Camellia
Fall wouldn’t be complete without the gorgeous blooms of Sasanqua Camellia lighting up South Carolina gardens. Unlike their spring-blooming cousins, these shrubs produce stunning flowers from October through December, making them November superstars.
Colors range from pure white to deep pink and even red, giving you plenty of options. The glossy evergreen leaves look fantastic year-round, providing structure even when flowers aren’t present.
Plant them in partial shade with well-drained, acidic soil for best results.
2. Pansies
Cheerful faces seem to peek out from pansy blooms, making them beloved by gardeners of all ages. Cold-hardy and incredibly versatile, pansies flourish when temperatures drop, providing continuous color from fall through early spring in South Carolina.
Available in nearly every color imaginable—including bi-colors and tri-colors—they work wonderfully in beds, borders, and hanging baskets. Regular deadheading encourages even more blooms to develop.
Plant in full sun to partial shade with rich, well-draining soil for maximum flowering power.
3. Dianthus
Spicy fragrance and fringed petals make Dianthus a delightful addition to any South Carolina November garden. Sometimes called pinks or sweet william, these charming flowers come in shades of pink, red, white, and purple.
Their compact, mounding habit works perfectly for edging pathways or filling containers on porches. Blue-green foliage provides attractive contrast even when blooms take a brief rest.
Good drainage is essential for success, so consider raised beds if your soil stays wet during winter months.
4. Snapdragons
Kids love squeezing the dragon-mouth flowers to make them snap open and closed! Beyond their playful nature, snapdragons produce tall, elegant spikes covered in blooms that last for weeks.
Cool November temperatures allow them to thrive without the stress of summer heat. Colors include red, pink, yellow, orange, white, and burgundy, offering endless design possibilities.
They attract butterflies and hummingbirds while making excellent cut flowers for indoor arrangements. Plant in full sun for the tallest, most impressive flower spikes.
5. Chrysanthemums
Nothing says autumn quite like the bold, rounded blooms of chrysanthemums brightening up porches and gardens. Mums come in an astounding array of colors—bronze, burgundy, yellow, orange, white, pink, and purple.
South Carolina’s mild November weather allows them to bloom for weeks without damage. Button types, decorative forms, and spider varieties offer different textures and styles.
Plant them in well-drained soil with plenty of sunshine, and pinch back early growth in summer for bushier plants with more flowers come fall.
6. Flowering Cabbage
Looking like giant roses made of leaves, flowering cabbage creates dramatic focal points that actually improve with cold snaps. The centers display intense colors—purple, pink, or white—surrounded by blue-green outer leaves.
Frost makes the colors deeper and more saturated, so November is prime time for these beauties. They work wonderfully in formal designs or cottage gardens alike.
Larger than ornamental kale, they can reach 15 to 18 inches across, making bold statements in containers or landscape beds.
7. Violas
Smaller cousins to pansies, violas pack incredible flower power into compact plants that bloom nonstop through South Carolina cool weather. Their dainty size makes them perfect for tucking into tight spaces or creating intricate patterns in formal beds.
Incredibly cold-tolerant, they shrug off freezes that would damage less hardy plants. Colors range from deep purple to sunny yellow, often with darker whisker markings.
Self-seeding tendencies mean you’ll likely find volunteer plants popping up in unexpected places, adding spontaneous charm to your landscape.
8. Winter Jasmine
Arching stems covered in bright yellow flowers bring unexpected sunshine to November gardens when Winter Jasmine begins its early show. This deciduous shrub starts blooming before most people expect flowers, sometimes as early as late fall.
The cheerful yellow blooms appear on bare green stems, creating an interesting textural effect. Stems root where they touch ground, making it useful for erosion control on slopes.
Minimal care requirements and adaptability to various soil types make it ideal for low-maintenance landscapes throughout South Carolina.
9. Tea Olive
Before you see Tea Olive blooming, you’ll smell its incredibly sweet fragrance drifting through the air. Tiny white or orange flowers appear in clusters among glossy evergreen leaves, perfuming entire yards with an apricot-like scent.
November often brings a flush of blooms, though this shrub can flower sporadically throughout mild winters. The dense foliage makes excellent screens or hedges year-round.
Plant near patios, walkways, or windows where the amazing fragrance can be appreciated fully during outdoor activities.
10. Liriope
Grass-like foliage topped with purple or white flower spikes makes Liriope both practical and pretty for South Carolina landscapes. Also called lilyturf or monkey grass, it forms dense clumps that suppress weeds effectively.
Late summer and fall blooms often extend into November, followed by black berries that birds enjoy. Evergreen leaves provide year-round interest and texture.
Extremely drought-tolerant once established, it thrives in sun or shade, making it one of the most versatile groundcovers for Southern gardens needing reliable, low-maintenance plants.
11. Fatsia Japonica
Tropical looks without tropical fussiness describe Fatsia Japonica perfectly. Large, glossy leaves shaped like giant hands create bold texture in shaded areas where few other plants thrive.
White flower clusters appear in late fall, adding architectural interest and attracting late-season pollinators. The evergreen foliage stays attractive through winter, providing consistent greenery.
Shade-loving nature makes it perfect for north-facing walls or under tree canopies where sunlight is limited. Tolerates coastal conditions well, making it versatile across South Carolina’s varied regions.
12. Mahonia
Spiky, holly-like leaves give Mahonia serious architectural presence that deer avoid completely. Yellow flower clusters appear in late fall and winter, brightening shaded areas when few other plants bloom.
Fragrant blossoms attract early pollinators, while blue-black berries that follow feed wildlife. Evergreen foliage provides year-round structure and texture.
Shade tolerance makes it valuable for difficult woodland areas or north-facing foundations. Several species and cultivars adapt well to South Carolina conditions, offering options for various landscape needs and design styles.