Intown Atlanta Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society

09/20/2026

Got sticks and other landscaping debris? We learned what to do with it other than fill up yard bags at Bug Snugs & Beyond, creating habitat and keeping nutrients in your garden’s ecosystem.

Thanks to Cathy, Kristy, and our wattle workshop participants for a fun morning, and thanks to the Decatur Community Habitat for hosting us!

09/17/2026

Tonight- Stop by Sceptre Brewing Arts in Oakhurst for a community native plant Happy Hour! Drop in anytime between 6 and 8 to meet fellow chapter members, talk native plants, and chat with a board member or two.

Food and drink will be available for purchase. No registration required.

09/12/2026

Due to the thunderstorms in the forecast, we are postponing today’s Wattle Workshop to next Saturday, September 19, at 11 am. Registrants have received an email with the updated information. Please reach out if you need a refund for your registration.

Apologies for the inconvenience and late notice. We tried to find an indoor space to move it to, but were unable to, and safety is the priority.

Stay safe and dry out there!

09/11/2026

Did you know that Intown Atlanta GNPS is an all-volunteer organization? We rely on volunteers to make everything happen, including outreach and events!

We will be tabling at several amazing events coming up this fall, including Creek Rising benefiting the South Fork Conservancy, Woodlands Garden of Decatur fall plant sale, and Beech Hollow Wildflower Farm Festi-Fall.

Volunteering at our table for a couple of hours is a great way to support our outreach, meet cool people, and share your love of native plants. No prior experience is required. Sign up at the link in the comments, and send us a message if you have any questions!

09/09/2026

Butterflies will drink nectar from many different flowers as adults, but they can only lay their eggs on specific host plants that feed their young. Help the mama butterflies out by planting diverse native plants that will provide habitat for their entire life cycle!

Photos:
Black-eyed Susan with Clouded Sulphur (host plants: members of the bean and pea family, including Baptisias)

Blue mistflower with Fiery Skipper (host plants: grasses)

Swamp milkw**d with Monarch (host plants: milkw**ds)

Joe Pye w**d with Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (host plants: trees including tulip tree, black cherry, and sweet bay magnolia)

09/05/2026

Fall is a great time to plant native plants! In the Atlanta area, several wonderful nurseries focus on native plants, and we also have seasonal plant sales coming up in the next few weeks.

Some of the listed nurseries or plant sales may include non-native plants in their inventory, so please do your research before purchasing. Flora of the Southeastern US, USDA, and BoNAP are places that you can check a plant’s native range.

For more details, please check the organization or nursery’s website.

Happy planting!

09/04/2026

Planting native plants can provide much-needed habitat for butterflies, even in small spaces. This is something that has been shown to help populations recover!

From the research paper:
“Targeted habitat management has successfully reversed the decline of at-risk butterfly species [e.g., (28)] and has been linked to local increases in abundances for six of our declining species (29). Restoring native landscapes, even in areas where only small spaces are available such as hedgerows, roadsides, and backyards, has great potential for increasing the amount of suitable habitat for butterflies and other insects.”

Butterfly populations across the United States are in alarming decline, according to a 2025 study in Science, with total abundance falling by 22% in just 20 years. ⁠
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Such widespread and worrisome losses portend broader environmental threats and emphasize the urgent need for conservation action. “Our national-scale findings paint the most complete—and concerning—picture of the status of butterflies across the country in the early 21st century,” write the authors.⁠
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The authors also note that butterflies have the potential for rapid recovery under favorable conditions, highlighting the importance of proactive conservation strategies to prevent further declines and to support long-term population stability.⁠

Learn more on : https://scim.ag/3QPauC7

09/04/2026

Spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata) has intricate flowers that bloom from late summer into September. It attracts lots of pollinators, like this eastern carpenter bee, and grows to about 2-3’ tall in part to full sun, making it a great addition to a pollinator garden.

08/31/2026

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is the host plant for several butterflies and moths, including the aptly named spicebush swallowtail seen here.

The caterpillars of the spicebush swallowtail go to great lengths to avoid predation - in addition to having false eye spots that are presumably meant to be scary (but are arguably just adorable), they wrap themselves up in leaves to hide when they aren’t feeding.

Spicebush is one of the earliest flowering plants in the spring, and its berries are a food source for a variety of wildlife. Its leaves, twigs, buds, and berries are edible and can be used to make tea or as a spice similar to allspice.