Chicory
Cichorium intybus
This blue-flowered perennial is common as a roadside weed, but has a long history of being used as an edible or fodder.
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Chinaberry
Melia azedarach
Chinaberry is a fast-growing deciduous tree often made of several smaller trunks, as it is able to readily sprout from the roots. The widely spreading crown, pale purple tube-like fragrant blooms, and attractive yellow drupes that persist all winter made it a popular ornamental shade tree in southern yards during the 1900s, but now it is noted for its invasive qualities, naturalizing along roadsides and fence rows. Many animal species - including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, poultry and humans - have been poisoned by chinaberry, usually by ingesting the fallen fruit.
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Cockscomb
Celosia argentea var. cristata
A sturdy long-blooming annual, this impressive plant is ideal for the back of the border. Its bright flowers come in many colors, including hot pink, peach, deep rose, yellow, and red.
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Coffee
Coffea arabica
Coffee forms a large shrub with glossy green leaves. It has small white flowers. This plant produces the coffee beans so many of us rely on every day, but in this part of the world is primarily used as an ornamental.
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Cowpea
Vigna unguiculata
The name "cowpea" was probably coined for their use as a fodder crop for cows, and while grown for their edible bean, the leaves and pods can also be consumed. Black-eyed peas can be harvested as a snap bean, or dried, and are the main ingredient in Hoppin' John, a traditional Southern dish ritually served on New Year's Day.
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Cranberrybush
Viburnum opulus
Cranberrybush has stunning white flowers reminiscent of a hydrangea, which makes up for its somewhat coarse texture and stiffly upright growth.
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Crimson Clover
Trifolium incarnatum
This clover is used primarily as a cover crop and fodder, but it is also a good nectar source for bees.
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Crown Imperial
Fritillaria imperialis 'Rubra Maxima'
This large bulb has striking orange flowers borne on long lily-like flowers in spring. It is best placed on its side when planted to prevent rotting and then left undisturbed.
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Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
This small, spreading native tree offers a profusion of purplish-pink flowers lining the dark branches in April, followed by large heart-shaped leaves. The redbud evolved in the understory and wood edges of forests, where it is sheltered from intense sunlight, and is prettiest planted among dogwoods and other small spring- flowering shrubs.
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Fig
Ficus carica
The fig tree dates back to ancient times and is an important source of food for many cultures. Flowers are borne inside the fig structure (syconium), and the fig is ripe and at its sweetest when it softens and turns dark late in the season. Coarse-textured leaves, which are large and deeply lobed, are immediately eye-catching in the garden.
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