Staggerbush

Lyonia mariana

Native to South Carolina (estimated)

Lyonia mariana — bloom photograph — Michael Wolf · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original photograph · Wikimedia thumbnail; no crop or retouching

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

14CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC

Genus host records with ranges including SC · Lyonia

Argyrostrotis quadrifilarisFour-Lined Chocolate, Hickory Leafroller
Argyrostrotis sylvarumWoodland Chocolate
Catocala andromedaeAndromeda Underwing
Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
Datana majorMajor Datana, Azalea Caterpillar
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Datana ranaecepsPost-Burn Datana
Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Nola pustulataSharp-Blotched Nola
Pangrapta decoralisDecorated Owlet

Show all 14

Paonias astylusHuckleberry Sphinx
Tallula watsoniWatson's Tallula
Xestia elimataSouthern Variable Dart, Southern Pine Dart
Zomaria rosaochreanaYellow-Striped Zomaria

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

19BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lyonia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

4Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Lyonia

Andrena kalmiae
Colletes productus
Melitta melittoides
Perdita novaeangliae

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Ericaceae
Hardiness: Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: Pink or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “Pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 5a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “Up to about 5 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Leaves · “Deciduous or evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

South Carolina rank	Not available
Global rank	G5
SC status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources