Hike Local: Woodlands Garden

 

I had a chance this week to visit Woodlands Garden in Decatur, GA. It is an approximately 7-acre park in an urban setting. It is open to the public every day during daylight hours (note: no dogs allowed). Originally a private residence, the garden contains the smaller Morse Family Heritage Garden – which has a selection of exotic plants – and extensive trails of Piedmont native woodland plants. A map of the grounds can be found here.

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)

The trails are easy walking and have good signage both for directional guidance and for many of the plants you’ll see. Several areas had extensive sweeps of single species of plants: narrow-leaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) in a sunny area, fernleaf phacelia (Phacelia bipinnatifida) just inside the shade, and in deep shade, patches of Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) and interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana) were lush and full of new spring growth.

Phacelia bipinnatifida

Osmunda claytonia

You might spot several of Atlanta’s champion trees. I was able to see the champion devil’s walking stick (Aralia spinosa); it was so mature that the only spines I could see were 6 feet high on the otherwise smooth trunk. 

Foamflower and Phlox

Blooming native spring flowers were sprinkled throughout: woodland phlox and foamflower, tiny wood anemone and native ginger, and gorgeous native azaleas. In the parking area, a flowering native coral honeysuckle lit up the front of the office building while the flowers of wild white indigo (Baptisia alba) and false indigo-bush (Amorpha fruticosa) kept the native bees busy.

Two of the native azaleas

The garden is a well-managed mix of intentional design and woodland wonders. As with any truly urban garden, exotic invasive plants creep in. The staff and volunteers have regular workdays to manage weeds and keep the trails open. If you're looking for inspiration or just to enjoy some natural beauty, stop by and visit this urban gem.

Amorpha fruticosa

 

April is Native Plant Month

 

Beginning in April 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution designating April to be National Native Plant Month. [Since this is a Resolution and not a Law, this legislation needs to be reintroduced each year.]  That designation has continued each year, and each year the message spreads a little further. In Georgia, the native plant society has been using social media to highlight chapter activities around the state, using the national momentum to encourage people get involved locally. The Society’s executive director also wrote a great article to share about ways to celebrate: planting native plants, removing invasive plants, and educating others. Notice that two of those ways don’t even require you to have a garden!

Various national organizations are using the designation to highlight how essential native plants are to creatures that people like: birds, butterflies, and bees. Yes, science has shown us that there is a reason that native plants are required for our native ecosystem to thrive and I’ve written about this before:

Why Native Plants Matter to Birds

Why Native Plants Matter to Bees, Butterflies, and Bugs

Pollinators in Georgia: A Compilation of Articles

I also think that using native plants in our Georgia landscapes help anchor a sense of place and celebrate the natural beauty of our state. That certainly is one of the founding principles of this blog: Using Georgia Native Plants.

I hope you enjoy April and all our natural beauty. My native Piedmont azalea, Rhododendron canescens, is currently in full bloom outside the front window, serving as this week’s installment in gorgeous native flora in my yard (although the golden ragwort, Packera aurea, is certainly trying hard to rival it).

April 2025 Moment in Nature

This month's #momentinnature is really a two-fer. I noticed a row of insect eggs on the twig of an American beautyberry in my yard. As I leaned in to look more closely, I realized there was a very young gray tree frog nestled into one of the branch crotches.

While March has produced some wonderful early blooms, April promises to be amazing! Keep your eyes open for lots of special moments.

Impactful Shrubs

 

What’s in your yard? You probably don’t have room for everything you want, but small and urban yards can plan to maximize the wildlife value of their plantings. We talk about trees a lot, but shrubs can provide good ecological value for smaller spaces. Here are some thoughts on impactful shrubs to plant that make a difference.

Impactful means that they contribute to the food web in one of 3 ways: their fruit is good for wildlife (like birds), their foliage serves as a host plant to insect herbivores (like caterpillars), and/or they are a good source of pollen/nectar for insects (like bees and butterflies).

Blueberry specialist bee helps us get the most fruit

Shrubs that support frugivorous birds (those who use fruit as a major source of their adult nutrition) include native viburnums (Viburnum spp.), hearts a bustin’ (Euonymus americanus), spicebush (Lindera spp.), elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), holly shrubs (Ilex spp.), chokeberry (Aronia spp.), shrub dogwoods (Swida amomum, C. foemina and others), St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.), and sumac (Rhus spp.).

Shrubs whose foliage serves as a host plant to butterflies and moths (these feed caterpillars) include spicebush (Lindera spp.), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), plums (Prunus spp.), and paw paw (Asimina spp.). Some of these support specialist insects like the Zebra swallowtail that can only use paw paw.

Zebra swallowtail as caterpillar and adult

Shrubs whose flowers are a good source of pollen or nectar for bees and butterflies include native viburnums (Viburnum spp.), buckeyes (Aesculus spp.), elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), holly shrubs (Ilex spp.), chokeberry (Aronia spp.), shrub dogwoods (Swida amomum, C. foemina and others), St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and sumac (Rhus spp.).

Buckeyes are good for bees and hummingbirds

You can see that some plants might serve 2-3 ecological purposes (for example, blueberry and spicebush support both birds and insects), allowing smaller yards to benefit from these shrubs quite a bit. Make your choices count!

Previous blogs on shrubs that you might find useful:

Native Shrubs in the Georgia Piedmont

Native Shrubs for Supporting Birds

Underused Native Shrubs

Enjoy Each Season: Spring

We've been waiting for spring for literally months; now that it's finally here, I have to remind myself to appreciate each plant in its turn. For all their benefit to the ecosystem, spring native plants aren't always as showy or large as the exotics that are so widely planted.

I am enjoying the Sweet Betsy trillium (Trillium cuneatum) just starting to bloom in my yard. We recently rescued some of this petite perennial from a construction project; so many of these small, ephemeral things get overlooked and yet I imagine a time when they might have carpeted the woodlands around here.

Trillium cuneatum

This week I had a chance to stop by Stone Mountain. I was interested to see what spring granite outcrop plants might be blooming. The woolly groundsel (Packera dubia) was just getting started but the elf-orpine (Diamorpha smallii) was not yet flowering. You can see photos of flowering elf-orpine at my Heggie's Rock post from 2013. One young serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) was flowering like mad, ahead of  all others I've seen. 

Amelanchier arborea

Diamorpha smallii - not quite ready

Packera dubia

On the way back home, I enjoyed the many flowering redbuds that lined the edges of wild roads. By next week, many of them will be done. I was glad I got out to see them at their best. Don't rush through spring - take time to notice the diversity of our native flora during their season.

Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Surely It’s Spring Compilation

It’s spring – or is it? These longer, warmer days in Georgia have us all seeing a few blooms and anticipating what’s next as we await the official arrival on Thursday the 20^th.

Flowers above (not yet blooming!) are clockwise from upper left: beardtongue (Penstemon), Eastern columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), mouse-eared coreopsis (Coreopsis auriculata), foamflower (Tiarella), pink phlox (Phlox subulata), red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), and Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens).

When it comes to native flowers, what can we expect? And what should we consider when we realize our spring doesn’t have enough native flowers? You can imagine that over the last several years, I’ve written about spring flowers a time or two.

Here is a list of spring topics you might want to read. I hope that you find something inspirational for this season.

Plant specific posts:

Coreopsis 2017 

Violets are Blue Too 2013 and Violets Are Complicated 2017 

Trilliums - a Georgia specialty 2012 

Tiny Spring Anemones 2017 

Houstonia, We Have ... Tiny Flowers (Bluets) 2019 

Green & Gold 2023 

Plant collection posts:

Native Spring Perennials 2011 

Favorite Native Spring Perennials for the Garden 2014 

Bluets, Beauties and Bloodroot – oh my! 2012 

Spring Blues 2011 

Pass the Mustard 2015 

Ephemerals – here today, gone by summer 2011 

Spring Trees – Alternatives 2015 and AlterNATIVE: Native Choices Instead of Ornamental Pears 2020 

Garden Ideas: 

Pollinators in Georgia 2022 

Native Plants in Containers 2013

Field Trips for Spring:

Sosebee Cove Trail in Spring 2015

The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain February 2017

The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain March 2017

 

March 2025 Moment in Nature

Sometimes our #momentinnature moments are fleeting, but this week I got to enjoy one that lasted a long time: miles and miles of time.

We drove down to Florida and the roadside trees in all 3 states were beautifully festooned with yellow flowers. These were the flowers of Carolina jessamine vines (Gelsemium sempervirens) that twined among the bare twigs of the trees on the sunny edge. 

Some had just a few flowers while others created large masses of yellow.  I could not help but smile to see so many.

Unfortunately we were not able to stop and take a picture (below is a photo from 2014 and it really does not do it justice). However, we stopped at Buc-ee's in Auburn, AL and found them using this same plant as a shrub (or at least a very bushy groundcover) See the photo above.  

Roadside Carolina jessamine

The Hidden Life of Trees (the book)

 

I’m always looking for creative ways to reach people about the importance of plants and my husband recently found a book that I think could be a great resource for young folks and people that are more receptive to graphic depictions of information. The Hidden Life of Trees was originally published in German in 2015 by Peter Wohlleben. Later, an illustrated version was published with numerous photos but still lots of text. In 2023, the version that I’m reviewing was published: The Hidden Life of Trees: A Graphic Adaptation.

The book starts with some good explanations of physical processes to set the stage: how do trees breathe, nutrient uptake, pollination, even how new trees grow and the challenges that seedlings have to reach maturity. Also included in the beginning are the role that trees play in their ecosystem: the creatures that trees support over time from leaves, to bark, to nest cavities, and even the support they play in death.

Chapters are titled Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter and the beautiful illustrations follow that progression. A final Section, The Return to Spring, is a bit of a post-2015 exploration of the impact of his first book and musings on the impact of climate change and the human impacts on global forests. The book is a love letter to trees while imparting information about how important they are and helping us to understand how special they are to our world. I downloaded the following page graphics from the publisher’s website:

 

I hope that this creative approach will reach more people through its innovative approach. By the way, other books have also been created using parts of the original to help communicate Peter’s message. You can find them here.

Got (Native) Trees?

 

As housing lots get smaller and smaller, more native trees are cut down for those developments than are planted back. It’s a trend that we need to reverse. And we can do that with our own actions: plant more native trees.

Sweetgums support life!

Whether it is a pristine woodland lot or a scraggly former cow pasture with early-succession trees, these areas contain plants – maples, sweetgums, oaks, tuliptrees – that support our native insects and they get wiped out when development comes through. What is planted back are rarely plants that sustain our insects. We usually get turf grass, exotic shrubs, and one tree in these new ¼-acre yards. The tree might be a native maple, but it just as easily could be an exotic elm or crape myrtle.

The population of butterflies and birds just took a dive in the new area because the carrying capacity of the area is diminished. We know from research that birds need about 70% native vegetation in order to stay at reproducible numbers (maintain the same population). Large trees like oaks, sweetgums, maples and tuliptrees significantly contribute to those kinds of numbers.

Photo from the City of Woodstock's FB page

Friday was Arbor Day in Georgia. I write about this almost every year (and my post in 2022 was a good summary of why we have it in February and why native trees matter) because it is always a good opportunity to remind people of the importance of native trees. Last year, I specifically profiled red maple (Acer rubrum) for my Arbor Day post because of its statewide profile.

I hope you will take some time to look at what you have in your yard and consider adding a new native tree to increase your biodiversity. You might even consider replacing any non-native tree that you have already.

Double- toothed prominent caterpillar on native elm

I don’t have a yard, How can I help?

 

Georgia has 11 million people in the state and not of them have homes with a place to plant things. Some of them are renters and some of them – especially in more urban areas – have very small lots or none at all (e.g., townhomes and condos). The movement for using native plants, conserving habitat, and removing invasive species has never been stronger, but not having a yard doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to that movement.

People all over are inspired to make a positive impact on the environment. Opportunities include the following:

Volunteer – You can donate your time to help guide, to remove invasive plants, to be on a committee or even lead one for your chapter or state organization; there are volunteer tasks for people of all abilities.

Educate others – You can give talks to garden clubs, HOAs, school groups, Scouts. Many of these groups need a 20-30 minute basic discussion of why we should appreciate and use native plants; your efforts can help more people not take the native green for granted. (Hat tip to a DNR friend for that expression!)

Talking about native trees at Arbor Day school talk

Advocate for native plants – We should follow native plant and habitat issues and contact our elected legislators to support them. Recent examples: issues like the recent expansion for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Boundary or the proposed change to the State Flower (HB145). Share these issues with others and contact your legislators to let them know which issues are important to you.

Donate – You can help groups that educate people, manage nature centers, and seek out opportunities for land conservation by donating funds that they can use for staff and resources.

Georgia Piedmont Land Trust is one such group.

Plant – Get your hands in the dirt by planting native plants in pots for your patio, in school and church gardens, or in public spaces like libraries and neighborhood green spaces. Squeeze in native plants wherever you can! Seek out “Friends” groups for State Parks and county ones too.

Whether you plant in your yard or you convince/enable others to do it, it’s a win for the local ecosystem. Need some resources? Look to your native plant society for help. As an example, here is a link to education resources developed by the Georgia Native Plant Society.

 

February 2025 Moment in Nature

February is such a tease. I've written about this before so I won't repeat myself. Today's #momentinnature is a lovely native Trillium standing tall in my friend's yard. We were looking for trout lily foliage (which was still sparse) but we found several of this early species and I'm not sure which one it is, but we'll try to figure it out once the flower opens.

Enjoy the moments, take time to appreciate the special things, and keep/plant as many native species as you can.

Native Plants – Gateway to Conservation

 

Okefenokee NWR expansion is thanks to public input

In late 2021, a fellow board member of the Georgia Native Plant Society coined a phrase that resonated with me then and still does. As we were writing our 3-year strategic plan, she wrote “GNPS grows people who love native plants.” We recognized then that when you cultivate people’s appreciation of native plants, a wonderful by-product is that they tend to become more interested and more involved in conservation.

As we see more pressure to overturn conservation efforts, from land preservation to pollution, growing a more sensitive population is in the best interest of conservation. Each of us should take time to educate people about native plants, even if it is just pointing out:

• That native plants exist (“Look at the fall color on that native red maple!”), and
• That they are beautiful (“This native trillium is so unique and I’m glad I am able to have it in my wooded area.”), and
• That they support local insects and birds (“I appreciate having that native black cherry because it provides food for beautiful butterflies – like over 400 of them. And it supports birds!”).

Share articles on your social media and photos of your successes to help get people interested. Think about what people like (birds, butterflies, fireflies, frogs, for example) and play to those interests.

• Fall color on native plants is key to great views in the fall.
• Pollinators depend on native plants, especially native bees but also honeybees.
• Birds thrive when native plants are more abundant to provide food to birds that don’t use feeders or have chicks to feed.
• Beautiful native flowers in your garden are an excellent way to demonstrate that native plants are accessible to gardens.

Share copies of books that have inspired you, like one of Doug Tallamy's books or Georgann Eubanks’s Saving the Wild South. Personal recommendations is one of the most powerful ways of persuading someone.

If you want to help the conservation of lands, plants, and other organisms, tell people about native plants and start them on the road to caring and conservation.

Monarch butterfly on goldenrod

New Year, New Flower for Georgia

 

If you haven’t heard already, the current state floral emblem for Georgia is an exotic rose - Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata) - that was mistakenly considered to be indigenous (that is, native) to Georgia when it was nominated in 1916. While some people think it honors the Cherokee people, we know now that the Cherokee citizens of Georgia would rather support a native plant (read more in this FAQ). That rose was later classified as invasive because of its ability to spread and outcompete native species.

Last year, the Georgia Native Plant Society (GNPS) initiated an effort with the Georgia Legislature to change the state flower emblem to a native flower, the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana). That effort didn’t complete before the session ended, so this year it is being renewed in both the State House and the State Senate.

Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)

As a member of the GNPS Board, I have been involved in this effort and I’d like to encourage all Georgia citizens to contact both your State Representative and State Senator to show your support for this change. GNPS has created some documentation (like the FAQ) to help you understand more and as something that you can share when you contact your State Representative and State Senator. The full collection of downloadable and printable resources can be found on the GNPS advocacy page.

Here is some sample text that you can use when you write your elected officials. Find your legislator’s name and contact details here. The House bill number is HB145.

“Senator/Representative <name>: I am in your district and I'm writing to ask you to support legislative efforts by Sen Rick Williams and Rep Deborah Silcox in 2025 to change the state flower from an exotic rose to the native sweetbay magnolia. This document from the Georgia Native Plant Society helps explain: https://gnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/State-Flower-Change-FAQs.docx.pdf

Thanks and please let me know if I can count on you to vote in favor of this change.”

Georgia deserves to have a state floral emblem that represents the beauty of Georgia’s native plants. In addition, the sweetbay magnolia is a plant that can be planted almost throughout Georgia in residential landscapes and business landscaping. It benefits our native pollinators, especially our state butterfly, the Eastern tiger swallowtail, who uses it as a host plant.

As the old saying goes, “When we know better, we can do better.” Now that we know it was a mistake to nominate an exotic rose in 1916, it’s time to fix that mistake. Your letters to your legislators can really make a difference as they really do listen to their constituents in matters like this. Let’s go native!

January 2025 Moment in Nature

My front door is flanked by two large windows and I can't help but peek out the window when I walk by. I've found many a surprise out there - most often a bird searching for food (they spend most of their day doing so). 

While I did put out birdseed during last week's snow event, I do expect that birds find some food in the landscape, especially in the front yard where I don't have feeders.

This week I spotted a pair of cardinals searching through the ground litter for seeds. And they were finding them, thanks to my efforts to leave as much as I can during the winter. These sights are always a very satisfying #momentinnature. 

Snow Stops By

The predicted snow arrived this week and it seems like Atlanta was reasonably well-prepared: schools closed, people stayed home, and most of us got to enjoy a 2 inch layer of snow.

American beech (Fagus grandfolia)

I put out seed and suet for the birds but there was no need to do anything for our native plants. Nestled in a coating of ice, most plants will be fine; as long as it melts quickly on our warmer days, the bigger plants won't be damaged by the extra weight. A December 2017 snow event illustrated how 7-8 inches can be damaging.

A smaller event in February 2020 illustrated how quickly these events can pass.

We drove out to pick up our grandson the next afternoon as the sun was finally breaking through. It was beautiful to see every plant stem was transformed - even each weed! - into a bejeweled wand. The sun turned the icy tree branches into collections of tiny prisms (which I tried to capture in the photo below).  

Iridescent ice on trees as the sun breaks through

Thanks to my husband for spotting a great place to take a photo. If you can see the pinkish-purple tips then you're seeing the prism effect.

Resolutionize Your Landscape

Resolutionize may not be a real word but let's define it as implementing your resolutions. You probably made several resolutions, some may have involved your health but hopefully at least one involved the health of the ecosystem.

Baby frog on Helenium

If you didn't, I've got some ideas! Here are some posts I've made about that over the years. They include resources to help you. Some of them are small but change begins with one simple step forward: replace a non-native plant with a native one, stop using pesticides, add more pollinator plants.

I hope you find something to inspire your efforts in 2025:

Using More Native Plants in the Landscape (2013)

Into the New Year (2014)

It's a New Year (2016)

Resolutions 2.0 (2017)

Be Inspired (ideas for every month) (2022)

NOTE: If you don't have a yard, you can still make a difference by volunteering to help remove invasive plants at local parks, educate others about native plants, serve on committees/boards for environmental non-profits - there is a need for all skill levels when it comes to improving and protecting the ecosystem.