In this issue ...

• Chapter affiliation and you
• Spotlight on spiderwort
• Chapter News

Are you on this map?

Left: Regions (zip codes) that have at least one GNPS member who is not a chapter affiliate. Right: Detail in north Georgia, showing the number of unaffiliated members as increasing "heat."

A year ago, as we were beginning the development of new chapters, only about a fourth of our membership was affiliated with a chapter. As of now, about 76% of you are affiliated with a chapter, and all chapters are having activities that include plant sales, educational presentations, workshops, and more. Those of you who are chapter affiliates are also on your chapter's mailing list for information about these activities, as well as news about chapter business, including the annual meeting where the board is elected and where you can provide input on chapter direction.

GNPS will never force you to affiliate with a chapter, but these free benefits make it worth your while to do so. Furthermore, this ensures that a portion of your membership dues stay closer to home, supporting the efforts of YOUR chapter to promote the use of native plants and to preserve habitat. However, if you choose to remain unaffiliated, 100% of your dues will continue to support statewide activities, and we thank you for that.

If you need to check your affiliation status or change it, there are now some helpful FAQs in the Member Portal on the web site. Just click on "LOGIN" in the upper right, enter your credentials, go to the Member Portal (also near the upper right), and under the big "MANAGE MEMBERSHIP" button, look for the "Membership FAQ" link. And if you don't have an account or have lost your login information, note that there's an option on the login screen to help you create an account or reset your password. (Beware of accidentally creating a new account with a different email that isn't associated with your membership.) We are here to help at membership@gnps.org, too!

Plant Spotlight: Tradescantia

Ellen Honeycutt

Hairystem spiderwort (Tradescantia hirsuticaulis) with green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) at Nearly Native Nursery.

There are a number of native spiderwort species, and six are found in Georgia: hairystem spiderwort (Tradescantia hirsuticaulis), hairyflower spiderwort (T. hirsutiflora), smooth spiderwort or bluejacket (T. ohiensis), longleaf spiderwort (T. roseolens), zigzag spiderwort (T. subaspera), and Virginia spiderwort (T. virginiana).

Smooth spiderwort (T. ohiensis).

Many gardeners consider spiderwort to be aggressive but it is smooth spiderwort (T. ohiensis) that is so prolific. Tall, robust, and vividly-blue, you can distinguish it from its relatives by noticing the lack of hairs on the bloom buds (hence the common name ‘smooth’). There might be one or two hairs, but it should be largely hairless. The Virginia Native Plant Society also says: “The smooth spiderwort can be distinguished by non-hairy pedicels and sepals (except for a tuft of hairs at the apex) and its generally glaucous-waxy leaf surfaces.” The foliage might be partially evergreen in Georgia; mine even turns a bit purple some years in winter.

Hairystem spiderwort (T. hirsuticaulis) and zigzag spiderwort (T. subaspera) (with a little zigzag in the stem).

Two of the species are actually named for their hairiness: hairystem and hairyflower. You might think that could be confusing, but they actually have very different natural ranges. Hairystem (T. hirsuticaulis) is one of my favorites and has a variety of different flower shades. Its natural range follows the line of granite outcrops in Georgia. It is perfectly at home in the garden with good drainage. Hairyflower spiderwort (T. hirsutiflora) is naturally found in South Georgia so the only place you’d confuse them would be in a garden that has both.

Longleaf spiderwort (T. roseolens) is another species unique to South Georgia (and rare); we’d be more likely to see it in Florida. North Georgia has its own species in zigzag spiderwort (T. subaspera), with a few appearances in the upper Coastal Plain (and strangely the panhandle of Florida). The crookedness of its stem is a characteristic for it. I have found it easily during the spring while hiking at Amicalola Falls State Park.

Two color forms of Virginia spiderwort (T. virginiana).

Virginia spiderwort (T. virginiana) has a rather small natural range in Georgia (largely NW Georgia) but has been used in gardens quite a bit. Like the similar smooth spiderwort, it has been passed along from gardener to gardener for many years. Tall like the smooth one, it is distinguished by the small hairs found on the bloom buds and wider leaves than smooth spiderwort.

There are few Tradescantia relatives (Commelinaceae family) that you might come across as well. Callisia graminea, formerly Cuthbertia graminea and Tradescantia rosea var. graminea, is a small plant called grassleaf roseling that is native to south Georgia. Murdannia nudiflora (dewflower) and Murdannia keisak are non-native weedy plants, the latter infesting wetlands, which you might find. A nearby horse field has the tiny Murdannia nudiflora in the shade by the fence and the flower quite resembles a tiny spiderwort bloom. Dayflowers (Commelina sp.)—both native and not—are also similar but a brighter blue in color.

Chapter News

Intown Atlanta Chapter

The Intown Atlanta Chapter held its first garden tour in April, featuring four private homes and two nature centers. Amy Aidman, a GNPS member and Emeritus faculty member of Emory University’s Department of Film and Media, wrote a wonderful summary that can be found on our website.

Fringed Campion Chapter

There will be a meeting of the Ocmulgee Audubon Society on May 9th at 7:30 p.m. at the Macon Museum of Art and Science. Carol Bokros and Greg Lewis from our chapter Board of Directors will be presenting a talk on native plants. Other chapter members are encouraged to attend if they are interested.

On May 21st at the Jug Fest  in Roberta, we will have a booth with native plant information and native plants for sale. More volunteers are needed. Members can sign up via a link on our Facebook page. 

North Metro Chapter

North Metro Atlanta Chapter GNPS members installed native plants on a bluff overlooking the wetlands at Dunwoody Nature Center on April 9, a frigid dogwood winter day, with other community volunteers braving the elements.  Intrepid GNPS members undeterred by a little sleet included Meddie Finnegan, Margaret Stephen, Renee Hood, Martha Moore, Dorothy Scherr, and Muriel Knope.

Dorothy and Muriel were also part of a group of North Metro Atlanta GNPS folks who lucked out with mild spring weather for planting days on March 17 and 25 in the nature center’s wetlands and rain garden.  Other March volunteers were Sarah Sanke, Sally de Lange and Jane Zoellick. 

Dunwoody Nature Center had purchased native plants from Beech Hollow, thanks to a grant to address erosion control.  Given the vicissitudes of Atlanta weather, the plant delivery coincided with the “bomb cyclone” weather event in our area in March.  Hardy GNPS folks to the rescue, planting equally hardy species like Carex cherokeensis, Chasmanthium latifolium, Euonymus americanus, Juncus effusus, Helianthus divaricatus, Eutrochium fistulosum, Monarda fistulosa, Vernonia noveboracensis, Solidago caesia, and Symphyotricum patens.  All the pots from these work days were recycled at the Stone Mountain Propagation Center.

Mary O’Kerns, Community Outreach and Facilities Manager at Dunwoody Nature Center, has been our helpful and appreciative contact for these volunteer efforts.  And of course Mary came shopping for more native plants at our GNPS spring native plant sale at Old Rucker Farm and Park in Alpharetta on April 30.  With 22 acres in Dunwoody Park, there’s no such thing as enough plants.

Coastal Plain Chapter

The Coastal Plain and Fringed Campion Chapters have partnered to remove three plant species of concern from a development site in Twiggs County, in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Department of Transportation.  

Volunteers from both chapters recently flagged plants that will be removed later in May, in cooperation with DNR, DOT and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. The plants will be kept in Athens at the SBGG until they can be placed at suitable conservation sites.

Coastal Plain Chapter volunteers will return to the Okefenokee Swamp Park in Waycross to lead sessions at Camp OSCAR, a day camp that inspires the conservation of the Okefenokee Swamp and the natural world. During sessions on May 24, 26 and 27, chapter members will lead the children with plant identification and leaf print activities. Then each child will plant a native plant in the garden area. Plants were propagated by the CPC.

North Georgia Mountains Chapter

Spring is finally springing here in the upper north reaches!  We are installing more plants in the Native Garden at Mineral Bluff Depot, and have a sign to post there, too.  We are determining what plants to acquire for the Meek’s Park installation.

At our next meeting, Saturday, May 14th, 10am, room 107 at Young Harris College, the presenter will be Kathryn Litton, who will be bringing samples of native plants to be used in landscaping. Our June 11th presenter will be Mark Warren, speaking on how the Cherokee people made use of native plants, so get these both on your calendars!