Plant Of The Year
GNPS initiated its Plant of the Year program in 2000. The purpose of this program is to recognize native plants that are underutilized in commercial and residential landscapes or which are vital components of Georgia’s ecology. We are looking beyond beauty, even though this is what often draws us to a special native plant in the first place.
Every fall, GNPS members nominate a plant they feel is deserving of being Plant of the Year for the upcoming year. Besides being native to the state of Georgia and underutilized in landscaping, a good candidate for Plant of the Year will not demand growing conditions that are too difficult for most Georgia gardeners to achieve. A slate of candidates are presented to the GNPS membership to vote on and the winner is showcased in the educational content, plant sales and on a custom-designed shirt.
Plant of The Year
2026 GNPS Plant of the Year: Pawpaw
Pawpaw fruits before the leaves turn yellow. By Valerie Boss The GNPS Plant of the Year for 2026 is pawpaw (Asimina triloba). Most Americans are familiar with cultivated, non-native fruit trees, such as peaches, oranges, and apples, but are unaware of pawpaw, a native...
Vote for the 2026 GNPS Plant of the Year
Each year, we celebrate one special native plant by selecting it as GNPS Plant of the Year (POY). The six nominated plants are featured below. Online voting is EASY. Logging in as a GNPS member will no longer be required. The primary member of each active...
New procedures for Plant of the Year nomination and voting
We have changed the POY submission and voting protocols Why did this happen? Until this year, we opened submissions at a specified time and closed them after receiving 15-20 nominations. After reviewing the submissions, we accepted the first six that met the...
2026 Plant of the Year Nominations Open on Sep. 29
Week-long Plant of the Year Nomination Period Opens on September 29 The GNPS Plant of the Year (POY) program recognizes native plants that are of benefit to Georgia’s ecology and wildlife and are underutilized in commercial and residential landscapes. Every year, GNPS...
2025 GNPS Plant of the Year: Blue-eyed Grass
By Valerie Boss GNPS is pleased to introduce blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) as our 2025 Plant of the Year. Blue-eyed grass is a low- growing monocot, with straight, flat, narrow leaves. It can look a lot like a clumping grass, especially when the foliage...
