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
2023 Plant of the Year: Spotted Beebalm
2023 Plant of the Year: Spotted beebalm Valerie Boss Spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata) is a beautiful and hardy herb, and the GNPS welcomes it as our newest Plant of the Year. A member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family, its natural habitats are woodland margins, sand...
Vote for the GNPS 2023 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. POY online voting is EASY. Just go to the voting page*, click to make your selection, and press "Submit." (If you are not...
Plant of the Year Nominations are Open!
Nominations for GNPS Plant of the Year open at 7:00 p.m. on October 11th. You must be a member to participate. Get all the details at our previous post about how to submit a nomination, and complete the form at this address as soon as possible (click this link, or...
GNPS Plant of the Year nominations open Tuesday, October 11, at 7 p.m.
The GNPS Plant of the Year (POY) program recognizes native plants that are of benefit to Georgia’s ecology and wildlife. If you are a GNPS member and have a native plant that you think is outstanding, please consider nominating it for POY 2023. Besides beauty, some...
2022 Plant of the Year: American beech
The Georgia Native Plant Society’s 2022 Plant of the Year, American beech (Fagus grandifolia), is a shade tree of imposing proportions. A forest-dwelling beech will grow tall, with few lower limbs and a narrow canopy. But a tree grown in the open will swell its trunk...
