Georgia Native Plant Society

Georgia Native Plant Society We involve ourselves in all sorts of activities to support our mission.
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The Georgia Native Plant Society (GNPS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the stewardship and conservation of Georgia’s native plants and their habitats.

This is another twining, summer pea that you might find; it has pink flowers and is known as milkpea. There are several ...
08/24/2026

This is another twining, summer pea that you might find; it has pink flowers and is known as milkpea. There are several species of milkpea in Georgia, this one is Galactia regularis. It can be found throughout the state. The flowers, 3-part leaves and fruit pods make it easily recognizable as being in the pea family (Fabaceae). Milkpeas are happy to scramble along dry woodland edges where they often go unnoticed; they are larval host plants for some butterflies, including the gray hairstreak.

Spurred butterfly pea (Centrosema virginianum) is the second pea vine that we referenced yesterday. It’s similarity to ...
08/23/2026

Spurred butterfly pea (Centrosema virginianum) is the second pea vine that we referenced yesterday. It’s similarity to pigeon wings (Clitoria mariana) is enough for most people to do a double-take. Add to that similar leaves, a similar range in the state and similar habit preferences. But it doesn’t have the dark purple streaks, and the shape of the big petal is flatter while pigeon wings’ petal has a scooped shape. The fruit is a long thin pod, much more so than that of pigeon wings. This plant is also a host plant for several butterflies such as the long-tailed skipper. If you want to see the other picture, click on our name to go back to our page and scroll down.

Pigeon wings (Clitoria mariana) is one of two very similar-looking vining summer peas. Both can also be called “butterfl...
08/22/2026

Pigeon wings (Clitoria mariana) is one of two very similar-looking vining summer peas. Both can also be called “butterfly pea,” adding to the confusion between the two. This plant is perennial and can be found in open woodlands and roadsides throughout Georgia. It has 3-part leaves and can be found growing erect or sprawling, up to 3 feet long. The flower is about 2 inches long, light purple with dark streaks in the center of the large banner petal. The fruit is a pod, 1-2 inches long. This plant is a host plant for several butterflies such as the long-tailed skipper.

We missed featuring this native shrub when it was blooming in June/July. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is a fragrant, ...
08/21/2026

We missed featuring this native shrub when it was blooming in June/July. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is a fragrant, summer-blooming shrub that sustains a lot of pollinators. The long racemes of tiny white flowers provide pollen and nectar to a variety of bees and butterflies over several weeks. This is a suckering shrub that appreciates moist areas so give it room to spread. Several cultivars are available, including pink forms and shorter, more compact forms. Leaves are a handsome glossy green that look good all spring and summer.

The most noticeable of the Eupatoriums can be seen on roadsides: late thoroughwort (Eupatorium serotinum), also sometime...
08/20/2026

The most noticeable of the Eupatoriums can be seen on roadsides: late thoroughwort (Eupatorium serotinum), also sometimes called late boneset. While this might look like a dead-end to humans, it is a feast for pollinators! It spreads via seeds (not roots); it’s easy to pull out as a seedling if you get too many. Broad arrays of tiny white flowers offer late season nectar to bees, skippers and other pollinators. The seeds will soon be ripe and ready for small songbirds, lasting well into the winter in some areas. Eupatoriums are an important part of the late season native food offerings for wildlife.

We’ve been talking about the bonesets, but Eupatorium perfoliatum is perhaps the one you are most likely to find for sal...
08/19/2026

We’ve been talking about the bonesets, but Eupatorium perfoliatum is perhaps the one you are most likely to find for sale. Reported native range in Georgia includes the Piedmont, the Ridge & Valley as well as the Coastal Plain in areas with good moisture. The textured leaves are so close to the stem that it appears to pierce them (hence the ‘perfoliate’ species term). From the Missouri Botanical Garden: “Though some authorities claim the name boneset refers to a former use of the plant to aid the healing process for broken bones, others claim that the name is in reference to the plant's use as a diaphoretic in the treatment of an 18th century influenza called break bone fever.”

A third Eupatorium species blooming now is hyssop-leaf thoroughwort (Eupatorium hyssopifolium) and it is perhaps the pre...
08/18/2026

A third Eupatorium species blooming now is hyssop-leaf thoroughwort (Eupatorium hyssopifolium) and it is perhaps the prettiest of them all. Finely textured foliage and a neat, flat topped appearance with a bloom height of 3 feet makes this one quite garden worthy. We’re glad to see that several native plant wholesale nurseries are making this available now. This website has good photos: https://vist.ly/5f7y8

Roundleaf thoroughwort (Eupatorium rotundifolium) is very similar to yesterday’s plant in terms of flowers, but the leav...
08/17/2026

Roundleaf thoroughwort (Eupatorium rotundifolium) is very similar to yesterday’s plant in terms of flowers, but the leaves are roundish and shorter. Leaves are still oppositely arranged and the stem is pubescent. This species is more common and gets a little taller, perhaps closer to 3 feet.

The genus of bonesets and thoroughworts is a workhorse group of white blooming perennials that are in fields, under powe...
08/16/2026

The genus of bonesets and thoroughworts is a workhorse group of white blooming perennials that are in fields, under powerlines, and along roadsides where they generally thrive in poor soils. The genus name is Eupatorium and it no longer includes the more popular and well known Joe pye w**d. What’s left are a collection of species that are deer-resistant and a great source of late summer nectar for bees and butterflies. White thoroughwort (Eupatorium album) has scattered presence throughout Georgia and is recognized by long, narrow, toothed leaves with opposite arrangement, pubescent stems, and small white disk flowers on a plant that is about 2 feet tall.

Coastal Plain Joe pye w**d (Eutrochium dubium) is a compact species that is not actually found in Georgia but we’ll feat...
08/15/2026

Coastal Plain Joe pye w**d (Eutrochium dubium) is a compact species that is not actually found in Georgia but we’ll feature it because it does get sold in Georgia, usually as the cultivar ‘Little Joe’ and ‘Baby Joe.’ It is a naturally more compact species. This photo is credited to Ginger Laurits, from the Wild Seed Project.

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