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March 2026 — Volume XXXII, Number 2 — Published by the Georgia Native Plant Society
2026 Plant of the Year Artwork Revealed!
It’s here! The 2026 Plant of the Year artwork featuring pawpaw (Asimina triloba) was created by GNPS member, Laura Qadri. The image features the zebra swallowtail, one of the butterflies that uses pawpaw as a host plant. If you missed January’s article all about pawpaw, click here to learn more about our Plant of the Year.
Education and awareness is a main purpose of highlighting a Plant of the Year. Help us spread the word about this awesome native plant by wearing it! Get your Plant of the Year shirt to wear to spring plant sales and workdays. Browse our online store for a variety of styles and colors. Click on “size and fabric info” on each product’s page for the specific details.
We're kicking off a series on Georgia's ecoregions with the Piedmont ecoregion. The Piedmont is bounded by the Appalachian mountains to the north and the Fall Line to the south, stretching across the middle of Georgia, where many of our chapter areas are located, including the Athens-East Piedmont, Intown Atlanta, North Metro Atlanta, part of Fringed Campion, and West Georgia.
Within the Georgia Piedmont, variation in topography and soils leads to a mix of natural communities - the groups of interacting plants, animals, fungi, and microbes that live together in a specific place. Prior to European settlement, Native Americans used fire extensively to manage a landscape that was a complex blend of old-growth forest, prairies, rock outcrops, and woodlands.
When looking for native plants, ecoregion is more useful than the traditional garden zone or even state alone. The conditions of the Georgia mountains and Coastal Plain are different from the Georgia Piedmont.
Thank You to our Founding Keystone Circle Members!
Last fall, GNPS launched an expanded membership program. Keystone Membership Circle levels offer the opportunity to give at a higher level and receive additional benefits throughout the membership year. Such benefits may include priority registration for state events, invitations to special programs and events and special recognition in certain GNPS publications. All Keystone Membership levels allow two people per membership. We encourage you to consider a Keystone level membership when you renew this year!
Statewide News and Opportunities
We Are So Close! YOUR Actions This Week Are Crucial!
GNPS Board Chair, Michael Cowan, with Representative Deborah Silcox and Georgia Tech students representing the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Momentum is on our side! Both Senate and House committees have moved separate bills forward to be voted on by their full chambers. One of the bills must pass its respective chamber by Friday, Crossover Day, to stay alive for the remainder of the legislative session. Now is the time to contact your state senator and representative to let them know you support a native species for the Georgia state flower! You may reference House Bill 955 & Senate Bill 240. We have some great resources to help you:
We are thankful to all of the organizations who have partnered with GNPS to spread awareness on this issue including the American Society of Landscape Architects, Trees Atlanta, Georgia Conservancy, Urban Ag Council of Georgia, Birds Georgia, Georgia Council for American Indian Concerns, Georgia Cherokee Community Alliance, and Georgia Invasive Species Council. Read more on our advocacy webpage.
Chapter Updates
Athens-East Piedmont
Save the Date: Spring Plant Sale, May 2
Join us on Saturday, May 2 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Sunrise Nursery (550 Athens Road, Winterville). We’ll have a wide selection of native perennials, grasses, sedges, ferns, shrubs, trees, and vines.
Doug Tallamy on UGA Campus, March 26
GNPS has been partnering the Georgia Tree Network at UGA, and their first big event is an in-person presentation by Doug Tallamy, The Nature of Oaks, on Thursday, March 26 at 5:30 p.m. The chapter will have an information table at the event. You can register for the free event there.
Visit our chapter’s webpage or join our Facebook Group for more information on upcoming programs.
Augusta’s River Region
Spring Ephemeral Hikes, March 14 and 15
Chapter member Jonas Meyer, a horticulturist and frequent contributor of new and interesting botanical finds at iNaturalist, will lead a pair of hikes to observe spring ephemerals at Stevens Creek Heritage Park in Modoc, South Carolina. Dates are March 14 and 15; each hike begins at 10:00 a.m. Groups are limited to 12 participants each day to optimize everyone's experience. Email us at augusta@gnps.org with your preferred date, and we will pass your info along to Jonas.
Pop-Up Hike at Heggie’s Rock
Anthony Simmons will lead a pop-up hike at Heggie's Rock some time during March. The date is TBA but will occur a few days after a rain for best viewing of ephemeral plants.
South Georgia Native Plant and Wildflower Symposium, March 25
Join us for the annual South Georgia Native Plant and Wildflower Symposium on Wednesday, March 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture in Tifton. The event is co-sponsored by the Camellia District of the Garden Club of Georgia. All are welcome! Presentation topics will include 1) Pollinator Syndromes, 2) Edible and Medicinal Native Plants, 3) Indicator Species for Plant Selection, and 4) Transitioning from Lawn to Wildlife Habitat. The Coastal Plain Chapter’s spring meeting follows at 3:00 p.m. Register by March 12 for $50 (includes lunch) online or by mail. Click here for details and registration.
Day in the Woods, April 11
Save the Date for the annual Day in the Woods event at the Gaskins Forest Education Center in Alapaha on Saturday, April 11 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. This is a community event for everyone of all ages to enjoy lots of activities and demonstrations of wildlife, forestry and traditional crafts using natural materials.
Upcoming Coastal Plain Native Plant Sales
Fling Into Spring, Thomasville – March 21: Stephen Striland will deliver a presentation on local native pollinator plants and offer a selection of plants for sale.
Tifton Farmers' Market, Tifton – April 4: Plant sale event.
Coastal Wildscapes Plant Sale, Darien – April 11: Plant sale event.
Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Blakely – April 18: Plant sale event.
Rosalynne Carter Butterfly Symposium, Plains – May 1: Amy Heidt will present on the role of native trees as pollinators in landscape environments, and native plants will be available.
Fringed Campion
Mushroom Propagation Workshop, March 7
Join the Fringed Campion Chapter on Saturday, March 7, 2026 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. for a hands-on mushroom propagation workshop. Participants will learn how to inoculate sweet gum or oak logs using oyster and shiitake mushroom and learn how to care for them at home. This workshop will be hosted at Boy Scout Road Nursery in Byron, GNPS's newest community-supported propagation project. Fee for workshop is $25. Click here for registration information.
Nature Day, March 15
Join us at the Amerson River Park playground to read the new story in the StoryWalk, then make a wind chime to take home! This event is free and open to the public. This month we'll be reading Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak. Click here for details.
Hitchiti Trail Native Plant Hike, April 4
The Fringed Campion Chapter is excited to host a native plant hike at the Hitchiti Trail on April 4 at 1:00 p.m. Based on last year's phenology, we expect this hike should be perfect to catch Rhododendron canescens, Penstemon australis, and Scutellaria integrifolia in bloom along the trail! This year's hike will be led by local expert Brandon Fountain. Click here for registration details.
Save the Date: Azalea Festival, April 11
Join us to celebrate all things Azalea! Including plant sales, presentations by native azalea propagator and enthusiast Whit Kirkland, and more. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for upcoming information on this grand event.
Macon-Bibb Earth Day Celebration at Amerson River Park, April 18
The Fringed Campion Chapter will join this county-run, family-friendly event along with an incredible group of local community partners for a day of education and fun to celebrate our Earth. Stay tuned for more information on our Facebook page.
Keep updated on our upcoming events and projects by checking out our Facebook page.
Intown Atlanta
Wild Roots Propagation Center and Habitat Tour, March 28
Come out on March 28 from either 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. for a guided tour of the Wild Roots Nursery propagation site, followed by a walk through the backyard gardens and woodland areas. From there, we’ll head down to the creek to explore native species that thrive near water. Each participant will get to choose one perennial to take home from Wild Roots Nursery, and additional plants will be available for purchase onsite. Registration required. Cost: $15, which includes your choice of a perennial to take home. This is a members-only event.
5th Annual Native Garden Tour, April 18
On April 18th, the Intown Atlanta Chapter will host our annual native garden tour. Visit the four featured gardens in Gwinnett County in any order between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and learn from the primary gardener and GNPS volunteers who will be onsite to answer questions.
Enjoy the milder April temperatures while you meander down woodland paths, stroll past buckeyes and flowering azaleas, and admire the spring blooms that attract bees, hummingbirds, and more. Register for this day of self-guided tours and get inspired about adding native plants to your yard or patio. Invite your friends and family and get your tickets early! Volunteers and children under 18 attend free.
Friends of HTDJ Spring Native Plant Sale, April 25
Friends of Herbert Taylor and Daniel Johnson Park, one of our Intown Atlanta GNPS restoration sites, is having a native plant sale to raise funds for park restoration on Saturday April 25, from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Morningside Farmers Market, 1015 East Rock Springs Rd, Atlanta. Come out to add some more native plants to your landscape while supporting a great cause!
Biodiversity in the Preserve: A Community Science Walk
Join us on April 26 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for a family-friendly guided biodiversity walk at Lionel Hampton–Beecher Hills Nature Preserve, where we will explore and document the plants and wildlife that shape this unique urban habitat. This event is free and open to all ages, but registration is required because space is limited. Registration will open on March 26. As part of the 2026 Atlanta City Nature Challenge, led locally by Fernbank Museum, attendees will learn how to record observations using the community science platform iNaturalist. Contributing your findings helps strengthen biodiversity data for our region and supports ongoing research and conservation efforts.
Restoration Site Workdays
Come out to one of our restoration site workdays to learn about invasive plant removal and repair damaged habitats at our local parks.
Join us on Saturday, March 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Fort King George in Darien for our chapter meeting. Shanna Lee, Georgia Native Seed Network Technician, will present on her work on plant propagation and planting on Jekyll Island. Florabundance Nursery will be open for members to purchase natives after the meeting. Click here for more information.
North Georgia Mountains
Chapter Meeting, March 14
Join us on Saturday, March 14 at the Union County Public library in Blairsville from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to hear Ellen Honeycutt, author of Using Georgia Natives blog, on Pollinator Paradise. Our meetings are open to the public.
McCaysville Visitor Center Native Plant Garden is Thriving!
The Native Plant Garden at the McCaysville Visitors Center, installed last year, has done so well that the North Georgia Mountains Chapter has been requested by the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce to expand on it and install a pollinator garden at their headquarters in Blue Ridge. Apparently the native plant gardens are doing their task of attracting the interest of passers-by!
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Can’t make it to our meetings? The North Georgia Mountains Chapter meetings are available on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
North Metro Atlanta
Exploring Native Plants: Native Orchids of Georgia, March 18
Georgia is home to more than fifty species of wild orchids. Although some are flamboyant, many are small and inconspicuous. This presentation employs the magic of macro-photography to provide close-up views of many of them. Join us for this free webinar on Wednesday, March 18 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Register here for this free webinar.
Tour of Goizueta Gardens at Atlanta History Center, March 19
Join the North Metro Atlanta Chapter on Thursday, March 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for a guided tour of Goizueta Gardens at Atlanta History Center with Gardens Curator Sarah Carter. Learn about the process for creating and maintaining the fabulous and inspirational new entrance garden. Our visit should coincide with the appearance of spring ephemerals. Click here to register.
Bring Back The Pollinators, March 29
Come learn about our native pollinators and how they interact with the natural world, why they are threatened, and four essential ways we can help them, including how native plants support them, with Xerces Society Ambassador Denise Wilson. The program is Sunday, March 29 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the Gwinnett County Public Library, 3180 Main Street, Duluth. Click here to register.
Exploring Native Plants: Gardening for Birds Webinar, April 8
If you love attracting birds and other beneficial wildlife to your yard, this presentation is for you!
Join our very own Ellen Honeycutt — former Board Chair and State Education Chair of Georgia Native Plant Society, and North Metro Atlanta Chapter member — for an engaging and informative program to gain a clearer understanding of how to design a landscape that naturally offers food and habitat throughout the year. Join us for this free webinar on Wednesday, April 8 from 7:00–8:00 p.m. Register here for this free webinar.
North Metro Atlanta’s Annual Spring Plant Sale, April 11
Save the date for our annual spring plant sale on Saturday, April 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Grove at Wills Park, 175 Roswell Street, Alpharetta. Click here for more information.
Native Plant Rambles
Join your fellow North Metro Atlanta Chapter members for an educational walk in the woods. These "rambles" offer a great way to learn about the native plants and to meet new friends who are also native plant enthusiasts!
Native Plant Ramble at Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site - Saturday, March 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Free event but sign-up required. Sign-up for this ramble!
Native Plant Ramble at Simpsonwood - Sunday, April 12 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Free event but sign-up required. Sign-up for this ramble!
Heritage Park Workdays
Habitat restoration work continues at Heritage Park in central Cobb County with tasks including invasive removal, native plantings, and garden maintenance:
The West Georgia Chapter's Spring Plant Sale on April 18 features multiple vendors, including both commercial nurseries and backyard growers. You'll be able to choose from a huge variety of native plants, including some that are seldom available commercially. Most vendors accept credit cards. After you've paid for your plants, you can leave them with the volunteers in our holding area while you continue to shop. We do not provide wagons, but feel free to bring your own if you're planning a large purchase. Doors open promptly at 9:00 a.m. NEW THIS YEAR: The Carroll County Master Gardeners’ “Art in the Garden” event is being held on the same day as the plant sale, beginning at 11:00 a.m. After you’ve finished shopping for plants, please head over to the CCMG Demo Garden and visit their vendors.
Backyard Water Features, April 21
Have you ever thought about adding a water feature to your property? At our April 21 chapter meeting, West Georgia Chapter Vice President Kelly Morris will share her experiences with this process. A water feature can be something as simple as a tray of water, or as complex as a pond. Kelly will discuss the different types of water features, their benefits, and maintenance responsibilities. Chapter members will also be asked during this meeting to vote on proposed revisions to the chapter bylaws. There will be a reception with light refreshments at 6:30, followed by a brief business meeting at 7:00 and the program at 7:15.
Wild Earth Backyard Bash, April 25
On Saturday, April 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., West Georgia Chapter members will be selling native plants at the Bear Creek Nature Center’s “Wild Earth Backyard Bash” in Chattahoochee Hills. The festival will include birds of prey and other wildlife, as well as outdoor activities and nature-related vendors.
Thank You to our Organizational Members & Sponsors
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