In moist areas you might find butterweed (Packera glabella), an annual species which has a very large but hollow stem. Other species found around the state include Packera obovata and Packera dubia (syn Packera tomentosa). (3/3)

In fact, it’s a bit rambunctious! But the deer don’t seem to eat it and it thrives in part shade so it gets high marks from me! On dry roadsides, you may see another ragwort species blooming now (you have to see the leaves to tell the difference), Packera anonyma, or Small’s ragwort. (2/3)

Golden ragwort (Packera aurea) is a beautiful spring perennial with evergreen winter foliage. Indigenous to the most northern counties of Georgia, it also grows very happily further south. (1/3)

It was our plant of the year in 2025. You might find this (or a relative) in partly sunny open woodlands, on woodland edges or in moist meadows. It is blooming now and looks great in a mass planting. (2/2)

Narrowleaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) is one of about 10 species of blue-eyed grass found in Georgia. This grass-like perennial is not a grass actually but a member of the Iris family (Iridaceae). (1/2)

Still, it’s a hardy plant and great groundcover for those hot, dry spots that you wish would be covered in SOMETHING. You can occasionally find this for sale, there is even a dark-foliaged cultivar known as ‘Purple Knockout’ which makes a nice substitute for the non-native ajuga. (2/2)

Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata) can be spotted blooming on roadsides now – it’s spires of pale blue trumpet-shaped flowers often occurring in large groups (it is in the mint family, after all, and you know how those mints can be). (1/2)

Native azaleas were often called “wild honeysuckle” because of their resemblance to honeysuckle blooms. The long tubular flowers are popular with certain butterflies as well as hummingbirds. (2/2)

Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens) has a native range that extends beyond the Piedmont region. Starting to bloom now, this pink azalea is highly fragrant and comes in colors ranging in all shades of pink. (1/2)

Not every plant is as fragrant as others so it is recommended that you buy one while it’s in bloom. A cultivar by the name of ‘Athens’ has golden-colored flowers. Shade and drought tolerant, this native shrub is found in much of the state except the southeastern area. (3/3)

In fact, all parts are fragrant – from the flowers, to the leaves (crush one), to the stems (even the dead ones can be broken to release the smell) and all the way down to the roots! The flowers are uniquely shaped so many folks recognize it. (2/3)

A very beloved native shrub in Georgia is sweet bubby bush or sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus). Another common name is Carolina allspice so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that this is a fragrant plant. (1/3)

When the lady’s slipper plant is older and producing most of its own nutrients, the fungus will extract nutrients from the orchid roots. This mutually beneficial relationship between the orchid and the fungus is known as “symbiosis” and is typical of almost all orchid species. (5/5)

Generally, orchid seeds do not have food supplies inside them like most other kinds of seeds. Pink lady’s slipper seeds require threads of the fungus to break open the seed and attach them to it. The fungus will pass on food and nutrients to the pink lady's slipper seed. (4/5)

Plants are only mature or healthy enough to bloom if they produce a pair of leaves. They are pollinated by bees. According to USDA: In order to survive and reproduce, pink lady's slipper interacts with a fungus in the soil from the Rhizoctonia genus. (3/5)

The pink lady’s slipper is found in mature pine woodlands and is extremely hard to relocate. Other species are not as difficult and are being grown in cultivation even. (2/5)

Pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule) is at its southern range in north Georgia. This beautiful orchid belongs to a genus that has several other species native to the US, one other to Georgia. (1/5)

Another difference is the color of the anthers: T. rugelii has purple anthers while T. catesbaei has yellow. The bloom does not fade to pink in T. rugelii. Both bloom about the same time (now) and thrive in moist woodlands. Here it is mixed among some Trillium luteum. (2/2)

Southern nodding trillium (Trillium rugelii) is another white, nodding trillium but it has a smaller distribution than the Catesby’s trillium we featured yesterday. Some of the differences between the two: T. rugelii is a larger trillium, taller and with larger leaves. (1/2)

Catesby’s trillium (Trillium catesbaei) is found in much of Georgia. This small woodland resident has a nodding flower, the white bloom hangs below the leaves and gradually fades to pink over time. Another common name is the bashful wakerobin, appropriate for such a sweet, shy flower. #nativeplants

It is one of several white trillium that fade to pink (Catesby’s trillium and dwarf trillium do too). In the Smoky Mountains, you can often see large sweeps of this species on rich slopes.

Only this trillium could pull off such a boring common name: white trillium. Its scientific name is much more worthy: Trillium grandiflorum. It is at the southern end of its range in Georgia. The large white flowers are held above the leaves and fade to pink as they age.(1/2) #nativeplants

It is reported for two counties in Georgia, including Walker County where is often seen at The Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail in early spring.

Trillium flexipes, or bent trillium, can resemble white color forms of Trillium erectum and Trillium sulcatum (both featured earlier). Some might also confuse it for Trillium grandiflorum, but that trillium is bright white while this one is a bit off white. (1/2) #nativeplants

This lush red bloomer is Southern red trillium (Trillium sulcatum), native in NW Georgia only to Walker and Dade counties. The Latin name refers to the sepal tips being “sulcate,” meaning they are upturned and rolled in like the prow of a canoe. This photo was taken in Cloudland Canyon.#nativeplants

This large-leaved species is found in Rabun, Towns and Union counties on rich slopes and in forest coves. This species can be various shades of red and even white sometimes. It is similar in appearance to Trillium sulcatum but that one is found in northwestern counties (near the Cumberland Plateau).

Last week we featured our mottled-leaf trillium species with sessile flowers. We'll finish out our series with the species that have green leaves and flowers on pedicels (stalks). Today's trillium is Trillium erectum or red trillium (also called stinking Benjamin!). (1/2) #nativeplants

The leaflets are coarsely serrated with lobes that taper to relatively noticeable points, a characteristic which is different from the other two plants. Sometimes the population of wood anemone might have more plants with leaves than flowers.

Wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) is found in all of the Piedmont and mountain regions of Georgia, not in the Coastal Plain. The leaf is a compound leaf with 5 leaflets or 3 leaflets where the two side leaflets are deeply cut so as to resemble 5. (1/2) #nativeplants

It's National Native Plant Month! And... a great time to shop. Check out some of the native plant sales around Georgia this weekend.