April 2010 Native Scape ~ Georgia Native Plant Society

7/31/2019 April 2010 Native Scape ~ Georgia Native Plant Society

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NativeSCAPEPub l i shed by t he Georg ia Na t i ve Plan t Soc ie t y

A p r i l 2 01 0

Vo lume XVI , Number 2

Presiden t s Message 2

P lan t Rescue News 20

C h a p t e r N e w s 21

Plant Focus 22

Upcom ing GNPS Event s 23

Newsletter Edi tor

Karen Wilkins

Newsle t te r sta f f :Sharon Parry, EllenHoneycutt andLisa Betz, Proofreaders

NativeSCAPE is publishedquarter ly by the GeorgiaNat ive Plant Society. Asubscription is includedwi t h membersh ip in the

GNPS.

Copyright 2010 by theGeorgia Nat ive PlantSociety. Al l r ightsreserved. Art ic les maynot be repr in ted wi t houtpermission of t heauthor .

GNPS Part ner s w it h Am ical ola Fall s St at e Park t o

Rest ore a Nat ive Habit atby Jane Trent in Page 3

On January 23rd t hrough t he 25th, several GNPS mem bers and fr iends plus one

Pickens County Mast er Gardener undertook a r est orat ion pr oj ect at Amicalola

Falls State Park.

Mosses at St one Mount ain Parkby Faye Bort hi ck Page 5

The walk began at the Stone Mountain Propagation Project (SMPP) site with a

sweep of Atr ichum angustatum t umbl ing over grani te and soi l . . .

Have You Hear d About SMPP?

by Marshal l Wil son Page 11The St one Mount ain Propagati on Proj ect , or SMPP, has t wo pr im ary goals. .

GNPS Exhibits 3 Rs at the Southeastern Flower Showby Paul a Reit h Page 14

The GNPS ent ry i n t he Discovery ( Educat ional) Division of t he 2010 Sout heast ernFlower Show, held in February, was enti t led Rescue, Reuse, Recycle .. .

2010 GNPS Annual Spring Plant Saleby Sher i George Page 13

Don t know about y a l l , bu t t o th is southerner , win t er has been extremely long

and cold, making th is spr ings woodland f lora seem ext ra beauti f u l .

Mem ber s Garden Tour Com in g Soon!by Jane Trent in Page 4

The annual Member s Garden Tour is schedul ed for Sunday, Apri l 18th, 2010. We

have four garden si t es on the t our t h is year. .

Mem ber ship Renew al Form Page 25

Nat ive Alt ernat ives t o Int roduced Grass Law nsby Bil l St ri nger Page 16

For m ost of us, a law n is the m ore or l ess green, more or less short , uni form area

of grass out f ront .


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My tr out l i l ies (Ery t hronium umbi l icat um) came up in t i me t his year to be covered in

snow a few days lat er. Now t hat t he snow has melt ed away under a f ierce blue sky,t hey are just as beauti f u l as ever t he snow didn t bother t hem one bi t . As many of

you know, our Georgia native wi ldf lowers are used to w hatever Mother Nature decide

t o t hrow their way. Fly poison (Amianthium muscitoxicum) t ips are poking br ight

green t hrough the leaves now, and t he br ight w hit e f low ers of b loodroot ( Sanguinaria

canadensis) wi l l no t be fa r beh ind. However , beauty doesn t j ust be long to the

herbaceous plant s: I not iced t oday that leaves are emerging along t he woody stems of

my young southern crabapple (Malus angust i f ol ia) they look l i ke t iny l i t t l e rub ies

sparkl ing in the sun. And fat yel low b uds are swel l ing on my spicebush (Lindera

benzoin) ; t hey are br ight but t ons of color even before t hey become f l owers. Spr ing is

on i t s way.

As usual , w e have some acti vi t ies t o look forw ard t o in the comi ng months. GNPS

volunteers have been hard at work put t ing together our m embers-only Garden Tour

for Sunday, Apr i l 18th. Thanks t o t hose who have agreed t o open their gardens for ou

t our so that w e might del ight in their handiwork. The very next weekend, Saturday,

Apr i l 24th, w i l l be our Annual Plant Sale aft er a tw o-year absence (remember t he

drought?). Sher i George and her commit t ee have been busy for mont hs: growi ng

plants, pot t ing up rescued plants from mem bers, and sol ici t ing nursery donations.

Please come peruse the select ion and br ing a fr iend. May act ivi t ies l ike t he Hike Inn

fie l d t r ip and our May member m eeting are in t he works. Check t he GNPS events pag

on the w ebsi t e for det ai ls, new i t ems and updates as t hey come along.

If you appreciate t hese act ivi t ies, p l ease consider volunt eer ing to help pl an more of

t hem. A number of our comm it t ees st i l l need volunteers we could do so much more

wit h your help. Ent husiasm is t he only requirement !

Speaking of our ev ent s page, have you visited t he GNPS web sit e lat ely? Our

webmaster and the websi te commi t t ee ensure tha t the w ebsi t e is not on ly up to date

but a lso that i t is fu l l of useful inf ormat ion about GNPS and nat ive plants. The home

page provides quick l inks to the latest Announcements, the Events page and also any

maj or upcoming i tems ( the Plant Sale is feat ured r ight now). The l inks along t he left

side of t he page, however, provide access to al l our permanent resources:

membership forms, rescue information, projects, l inks, p lants charts, previous

newslett er copies and art ic les, p l ant p ict ures t oo many th ings to name! Be sure t o

st op by and explor e some of t he resources. The GNPS web sit e is t rul y one of t hefinest nat ive plant society si tes that I have seen.

I hope that by t he t im e you read th is, del icate spr ing f l owers are del ight ing you

wherever you garden. I f not, st op by the plant sale and get some! Whi le t he

enthusiasm of spring is upon you, be sure to share your passion for native plants with

other gardeners. Word of mout h and personal convict ion are some of t he best w ays t

educate ot hers about native pl ants and encourage their use in t he landscape.

Presidents MessageB y El l e n H o n e y c u t t

NativeSCAPE April 2010Georgia Nati ve Plant Societ y

P.O. Box 422085

Atlanta, GA

30342-2085

www.gnps.org

770-343-6000

GNPS Board of Directors

President

Ellen Honeycutt

Vice President

Don St ewar t

Secretary

Shirl ey Center

Treasurer

Paula Reit h

Members-at-Large:

Jul ie Newel l

Paul Shivers

David Haim bach

Director of Communications

Sharo n Parry

Direct or of Conservation

Marcia Winchester

Direct or of EducationJacqueline McRae

Direct or of Membership

Jane Trenti n

About your m embership in t heGeorgia Nat ive Plant Society

Your member ship dues anddonations help support our mission

which is:

To promote the stewardship andconservation of Georgias native

plants and their habitat s -

By sponsoring meet ings, w orkshops,an annual symposium, grants,

scholarships, the native plant rescueprogram, and this newslet t er -

ut i l iz ing an al l -volunteer staf f ofdedicated nat i ve plant enthusiasts.We look forward t o and appreciate

your cont inued support .Membership renewal forms for 2010can now be complet ed onl ine or by

complet ing the f orm on the lastpage of t h is news let t er


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NativeSCAPE April 2010

On January 23rd t hrough t he 25t h, several GNPS mem bers and fr iends plus one Pickens Count y Mast er Gardener

undert ook a rest orat ion proj ect at Amicalola Fal ls St ate Park. The area targeted f or rest orat i on was along t hepaved walkw ay and st airs alongside Amicalola Fal ls. Aft er coordinat ing our plans wit h park ranger El isabethPinion, who arranged for t he f i ve Atlant a area workers to st ay on si t e in a cabin Saturday and Sunday night s, we al l

arr ived and began work on a cold clear Saturday af t ernoon in lat e January.

Using a homemade tool designed to spear trash that hadbeen dropped under t he 400 plus st airs leading to t he topof t he Fal ls, w e began at t he top of t he Fal ls and workedour way down. We picked up everthing from pink f l ipflops and head bands to soda bottles and candywr appers. One especial ly tedious proj ect w as undert akenby Board member David Haimbach and fr iend SarahSt ephens. They painst akingly removed wads of bubble gum

from a t ree branch that w as wi t h in reach o f t hest airs. Over a mont h later, t here was no evidence thatt h is unsavory pract i ce of aff ix ing discarded gum had begun

again.

As we d escended t he stairs we star t ed seeing Japanesehoneysuckle growi ng alongside the st airs. Very caut iously,several volunteers ventured off t he st airs and beganremoving th i s unwelcome vine by t he roots and handing i tup to bag holder, Jane Trent in, on t he st airs above. Oncewe made i t down to t he recyc led t i re path midw ay down,we encountered t he worst, act ual ly the heal t h iest stand of honeysuckle. Since i t w as growing in fu l l sun, andgett ing a const ant supply of water f rom t he mist of f t he fa l ls, i t was growing qui t e vigorously. But t hanks t o the

equal ly vigorous eff or t s of volunteers, John Li t t le and Paul Shivers, i t s presence can hardly be det ected anymore. Maureen Donahue, Marcia Winchest er and prospective mem ber Jane Tessier t ackled t he honeysucklegrowing on the cl i f fs above the path, whi l e the bubblegum couple continued t o pick up trash al l the w ay down tot he paved tra i l at t he bot tom of t he tra i l . Mast er gardener Michael Blackwel l learned about nat ive plants whi l e

energetical ly p icking up t rash and removing honeysuckle by t he bag fu l l .

By days end, w e had f i l led seven large t rash bags wit h

honeysuckle and trash!

The next m orning brought ra in, w hich gave us al l awelcom e change of pace. Three of the f ive who st ayed int he cabin spent t he day reading up on native plant s, w hi let he hikers in t he group put on rain gear and explored t he

t rai ls in the park. Aft er d inner t hat n ight, we discussedpossible goals f or GNPS in t he comi ng year, k ind of a "pre-

Board member s ret reat" brainstorming.

(Continued on page 4)

GNPS Part ner s w it h Am ical ola Falls St at e Park t o Rest ore a Nat ive Habi t atby Jane Trent i n

David Haimbach & Sarah Step hens

Photo Credit : Jane Trent in

John Litt le, Maureen Donahue & Jane Tessier



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GNPS Part ner s w it h Am ical ola Falls St at e Park t o Rest ore a Nat ive Habi t at( C on t i n u e d f r o m P a ge 3 )

The next mor ning, we packed up and headed to t he pool atthe bot t om of t he fa l ls to cont inue our rest ora t ionproj ect. A st and of vinca minor that covered probablytwelve square feet on the far bank of the pond wasremoved by t he roots and placed in t rashbags. Wintercr eeper on t he other side of the pool wassim ilar ly "relocat ed. " More honeysuckle was rem ovedalongside the falls, and by morning's end another severalt rash bags had been f i l led. Not one to rest on her laurels,past president Marcia Winchest er f ound another area of

invasives t o t ackle across t he parking lot f rom t he pool .

Anxious t o see the f ru i t s of our l abors, t r ip organizerJane Trent in c l imbed t o the t op o f the f a l ls to en j oyt he relat i vely invasive and trash fr ee path w e hadmade. On a return t r ip in late February, she not edonly one discarded wat er bott le and one plast ic cupl i t t er ing t he ground under the st airs. But j ust l ik e in

our own yards, t here were st i l l some weeds to bepu l led another t ime.

Marcia Winchester Not Rest ing on Her Laurels


John Litt le, Marcia Winchester, Jane Tessier & Maureen Donahue


Mem ber s Gard en Tour Com in g Soonby Jane Trent i n

The annual Member s Garden Tour is scheduled for Sunday, April 18t h, 2010. We have

four garden si tes on the tour t his year. Two wi l l be in the Stone Mountain area and two

wil l be in Mar iet t a. They are al l f i rst t ime t our gardens and should al l be at their peak

of Spr ing bloom on the day of the t our.

Plan to learn f rom t he tw o Mar iet t a gardeners how they t ransformed t heir suburban lotsinto nat i ve plant habitat s. Expect t o get ideas for gardening wit h nat ives in the sun as

wel l as in the shade. See how rescued plant s have been incorpor ated int o these tw o

suburban landscapes.

In Stone Mountain, you wi l l be tr eated t o tw o garden si tes a short w alk f rom each other

wi th in Stone Mount ain Park. One is our own GNPS Restorat ion Sit e, also the sit e last

year of a Nati ve Plant Sale. The other is the park's Nature Garden, w hich has undergone a transformat ion from a home f or invasives to a

most ly nat ive garden.

Just three miles from Stone Mountain Park, GNPS's own moss and lichen expert will share how she gardens on granite outcrop terrain. Expect to

see plants that thr ive in a r ipar ian habit at as wel l as a meadow w ith columbine and Stone Mountain daisies.

The hours of t h is year 's tour wi l l be 10 a.m. unt i l 6 p. m.


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In mid-January, a f ew days after Dr. Robert Wyatt s presentat ion on mosses at t he January GNPS meet ing, 14

GNPS ers were able t o enj oy a rare t reat seeing part ia l ly hydrated mosses and t heir f u l ly hydrat ed selves in one

walk at St one Mountain Park. This visual bounty w as due to a w eek wit h no rain or snow f ol lowed by r ain dur ing

the walk .

The wal k began at t he St one Mountain Propagation Proj ect (SMPP)

si t e wi t h a sweep of Atr ichum angustatum tumbl ing over grani te

and soi l , t ypical of t he rather dry, more or l ess exposed dist urbed

habitats such as roadbanks or mounds caused by windthrown trees

in woods. Green, yellowish glossy mats of Ent odon seductr ix

sprawled over t he dr iveway asphalt . This moss occurs on rot t en

wood, at t he base of t rees, rocks, and soi l among hardwoods in

dry or open woodlands. Mats of dark green to yel l owish green Anomodona t tenua tus clung to t he edges of w ooden st eps. At t he

edge of broken asphalt on sand and soil were tufts of a dense

green Bryum sp. The m osses at t he SMPP sit e are w idel y

dist r ibut ed, incl uding in urban areas.

Mats of dark green t o yel low ish green Anomodon

a t tenua tus clung to t he edges of w ooden st eps. At t he

edge of broken asphalt on sand and soi l w ere t uft s of

dense silver y-green Bryum argenteum. The mosses at the

SMPP site are widely distributed, including in urban areas.

On t he other side of t he road, on the m ain walkup t ra i l t o the t op of St one Mountain, w ere t he mosses general lyassociated w it h grani t ic outcrops. Before t he rain, t he dense, r ig id t uft s of Grimmia laevigata were si lvery black.

Aft er the rain, t hey t urned si lvery green, a phenomenon that prom pt ed the common name of resurrect ion moss.

Along with Xanthoparmelia conspersaand ot her l ichens, t his moss is a prim ary successor on t he vast expanses of

f l at grani t ic rocks in t he Piedmont . The moss t uft s catch sand and organic debr is, w hich bui lds up over t im e t o a

level that supports herbaceous plants such as Andropogon virginicus(broomsedge), Opunt ia humifusa(cactus),

Yucca f i lamentosa(bear grass), and Hel iant hus por t er i (Stone Mountain daisy). Eventually, woody plants such as

Pinusan d Juniperusmay get established.

Mosses at St one Mount ain ParkBy A. Faye Borthick



Examining Byrum sp. on asphalt

Photo Credit: Karen McCaustl and

Examining Anomodon at tenuatus

Photo Credit: Barbara Dorfman


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Mosses at St one Mount ain Park( C on t i n u e d f r o m P a ge 5 )



Grimmia laevigata while st i l l dry, on granite, with l ichens

Photo Credit: Karen McCaustland

Grimmia laevigatafu l ly hydrated ( low er and lef t ) , on gran-

i te ; Polytr ichum commune(br ight green, top center)

Photo Credit: Karen McCaustland

Grimmia laevigatafu l ly hydrated, on granite, with l ichens



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The second abundant moss

on t he grani te slabs was

Polytr ichum commune,

colonizing the relat ively f lat

grani te slabs wit h mat s of

varying t hicknesses, green

on top and brown

underneath. Whi le G.

lavigataoccurs in t uft s or

dr i f t s o f t u f t s on baregrani te, P. communeoccurs

mostly on t he down side of

runof f f rom seeps. Mosses

have no roots but absorb

water f rom t he at mosphere

or f rom w ater f l owing over

or under t hem.

Lat e f a l l t hrough spr ing,

Diamorpha smal l i i (a d iminut ive

succulent annual) grows alone in

solution pits (shallow depressions

in t he grani te slabs) or among

mosses.



Mat of Polytr ichum commune, where t he brown areas are pr ior seasons growth


Grimmia laevigata, Polytr ichum commune,

and Diamorpha smal l i i




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Invading the moss mat s were f r i l l y, pale l ight -grey tum bles of Cladina rangif er ina, known as reindeer moss

al t hough i t s a l ichen rat her t han a moss, and Cladina subt enuis(Dixie reindeer l ichen) .

In swampy areas, ot her mosses were comm on. The yel low, yel low-green, or yel l ow-brow n tuf t s of Aulacomnium

palus t redanced among mats of P. commune. In boggy areas, Spaghnum hugged the moss mat s. Ful ly hydrated

aft er t he rain, t he mosaic of d i f ferent mosses created a r ich t apest ry of greens, yel l ows, creams, and brow ns.

In dr ier areas such as atop t ree root s or perched on or hugging the hor izont al f ace of grani t e chunks were cushions

or sheets of Leucobryum al bidum an d L. glaucum. They are w hit ish or yel low -gray when dry and gray-green or l ime

green when hydrat ed. These of t en cover decomposing logs or stumps. Another moss in t he underst ory w as t he

green or yellowish green Thuid ium del icat u lum, cal led f ern moss on account of i t s fernl ike appearance. I t occurs

on moist, shaded soi l , rock, and st umps.



On granite, Grimmia laevigata(most ly ) w i th Diamorpha smal l i i , Aulacomnium palustre, and last year s Hyper icum gent ianoides(pineweed,

three stems across the top)



Symp osium Reschedul ed! ! ! !

The 2010 Symposium is being rescheduled f or Satur day, Sept ember 25 at t he same locat ion (Acwort h, GA). We have been able t o book most of

the same speakers. More informat ion wi l l be publ ished as we get closer to the dat e, and brochures wi l l be mai led t o al l current m embers.

Thank you to al l of you that sent such kind words af ter t he February event w as cancel led by t he snowstorm. In addit ion, many of you donated

part or all of your registrat ion t o help off set our sunk costs. Your donations helped ensure t hat GNPS was able to recoup it s losses and provided

the inspirat ion t o reschedule this event.


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Invading the moss mat s were f r i l l y, pale l ight -grey tum bles of Cladonia rangif er ina, known as reindeer moss

al t hough i t s a l ichen rat her t han a moss, and Cledonia subt enuis(Dixie reindeer l ichen) .



Cledonia subtenuis(Dixie reindeer l ichen) hanging out wit h

Polytr ichum commune


Polytr ichum communewi th t he l i chen Cladonia cr istate l la (Brit ish

soldiers) and another cup lichen ( Cladonia sp.)



Spaghnumon lef t ; Polytr ichum communeon right

Photo Credit : Karen McCaustl and

Aulacomnium palustre



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In swampy areas, other mosses were common. The yel low, yel low

-green, or ye l low-brown t u f t s of Aulacomnium palustredanced

among mat s of P. commune. In boggy areas, Spaghnum hugged

t he moss mat s. Ful ly hydrated aft er t he rain, t he mosaic of

di f f erent mosses created a r i ch t apest ry of greens, yel l ows,

creams, and brow ns.

In drier areas such as atop tree roots or perched on or hugging the

hor izontal f ace of grani t e chunks were cushions or sheets of

Leucobryum al bidum an d L. glaucum. They are whit ish or yel low-

gray when dry and gray-green or l i me green when hydrat ed.

These often cover decomposing logs or stumps. Another moss int he underst ory w as t he green or yel lowi sh green Thuidium

del icatu lum, cal led f ern moss because of i t s fernl ike appearance.

It occurs on moist, shaded soi l , rock, and st umps.

The last moss inhabits dry, open

woods and dense, moist forests,

occurr ing on rock, t ree bases, and

ro t t en woodDicranum scoparium.

Cal led t he broom m oss due t o a

swept appearance caused by t he

leaves being or iented t he same

way, i t s color var ies fr om yel low ish

green t o br ight green. I ts moundsare conspicuous in woodl ands.



Leucobryum glaucum wit h l ichens on granite

Phot o Credit: Karen McCaustl and

Dicranum scoparium.



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The St one Mount ain Propagati on Proj ect , or SMPP, has t wo pri mar y goals. One is t o propagate nat ive plant s for

rest orat ion proj ects and plant sales. Through t hose act ivi t ies we accompl ish our second goal , educating our mem-bers in plant propagat ion techniques. The tw o goals are compl iment ary effor t s.

The SMPP activities are open to members and non-members alike, and the calen-dar is post ed on t he GNPS web site. Workshops for hardw ood cutt ings, propaga-t ion of native azaleas, and seed col lect ion and st art i ng have already been held.Upcoming workshops include Herbaceous Cut t ings and Seed Col lect ion and Man-agement . Volunt eers at SMPP can att end workshops fr ee of charge, whi le ot hersare asked for a smal l f ee to help mi t igat e workshop cost s. Maintenance of the

plants aft er pr opagation requires year-round part ic ipati on of SMPP volunt eers.

In addit ion t o w orkshops, SMPP has st art edseeds for approximat ely 30 di f f erent species

of plants. So far, spice bush seed plantedlast fa l l is germinat ing and several herba-ceous seeds sown in late winter, Coreopsisgrandi f lora, C. major, and Confederatedaisy (Hel ianthus por t er i ) are up and grow-

ing.

Hardwood cutt ings of w oody plants, includ-ing some specialt y species f rom St one Moun-t a in , were stuck in ear ly win t er t o hardenof f . Wi th the warming temperatures theyshould be sett ing roots and ready for pot -t ing soon. The l ist of p lants put int o propa-

gat ion is growing as t he number of act ivevolunteers increases. Current ly, t here are18 people propagating seeds and/ or t ending

hardw ood cut t ings for SMPP.

On Februar y 19, SMPP volunt eers and other GNPS mem bers took a fi eld t r ipt o t he Chatt ahoochee Nat ure Cent er. Direct or Henning von Schmel ing gaveus a tour of t he green roof on the new Nat ure Center , as wel l as his green-house operation and

plant nursery.

Each person participating in a rescue can indirectly help SMPPserve t he GNPS mi ssion t hrough plant donat ions. Rescue fa-

ci l i tators are prepared to accept your plant contr ibut ions.They can be potted up at the SMPP for use in restorations ort o raise funds for ot her import ant proj ects of GNPS. Theyalso increase the stock of plants available for seeds and cut-t ings, a cruc ial f actor in p lants tha t requ i re 2 d i f fe rent c lones

to set fer t i le seed.

Have You Hear d About SMPP?By Marshall Wilson, Karen McCaustland, Elaine Nash and Barbara Dorfman


(Continued on pag e 12)

Lynn Arnold t ending one of the

nursery beds at SMPP

Phot o Credit : Karen McCaustland &CeCe Morgan

Barbara Dorfman col lect ing Hel ianthus por ter i

seed last fa l l , seed wi l l be used for

propagat ion in Apr i l 10

Photo Credit : Karen McCaustland & CeCe

Morgan

Leaf sprouts on hardwood cutt ings stuck in Dec 09 at our hardwood cut t ing

workshop - cut t ings from Granie gooseberry [ i n t he foreground] and Viburnum

ru f idu lum were harvested at Stone Mountain.

Photo Credit : Karen McCaustland & CeCe Morgan


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SMPP is exper im enting wi th di f f erent growing mediums, pot sizes, w ater ing schedules, and f er t i l iz ing techniques to

see what wor ks best. The biggest constr aint on t he success of SMPP at pr esent i s volunt eer support . Volunt eersare much appreciated, whet her on a regular or occasionalbasis, and can pursue t heir ow n area of int erest : SeedPropagation, Cut t ings Propagation, Const ruct ion proj ectsl ike deer prot ect i on, Nursery Operations, Program Man-

agement or Educational Programs in Stone Mountain.

The Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA) deservesa big thank you for the support they have given the SMPPby providing acreage wit h wat er and power, secure st or-age areas, access to cuttings and seeds from plants on themount ain, and mor e at no cost t o GNPS or SMPP. Sharingt he environment al and educational goals of our organiza-

t ion, t he SMMA is aggressively rem oving invasive species,undertaking rare plant restorat ion, improving tra i ls, offer-ing nature w alks and educational programs on nat iveplant s and animals. SMPP in ret urn makes plants availabl et o them f or rest orat ion and educat ional event s and leads

in terpre t ive h ikes in the park fo r t he benef i t o f v isi to rs .

Contact information, act ivi ty days, d irect ions and moreare avai lable on t he GNPS websi te. I f you don t yethave a Stone Mountain Park sticker, arrangements canbe made on workdays t o carpool into t he park free ofcharge. On special event days a gate w aiver al lowsGNPS member s fr ee entry. There is a lot m ore t o St oneMountain Park than laser shows, picnics and river boatr ides. I t is a great nat ural resource r ight in At lanta.

www.Stonemountainpark.org .

Come give SMPP a hand, share pl ant s, learn a l ot , havefu n and support restor at ion and t he GNPS mi ssion.

Have You Hear d About SMPP?(Continued from Page 11)


Mat erials scavenged f rom m any sources have been used for num erous

projects. David Saunders has designed & built a potting bench, as

wel l as a number of deer deterrent covers for t he nursery plants

Phot o Credit : Karen McCaustl and & CeCe Morgan

Elaine Nash & Marshall Wil son planting f ly poi son, Amian th ium

musci toxicum, at the Nature Garden last f a l l .

Photo Credit : Karen McCaust land & CeCe Morgan


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Dont know about ya l l , but to th is southerner, winter has been extremely long and cold, making th is spr ings

woodland f lora seem extra beauti fu l .

Whi le wait ing for t he beauty of spr ing, m y sanctuary dur ing the cold m onths is my greenhouse. This is where Igrow plants, mostly fr om seed, t o augment plants that have been rescued, al l of t hem wait ing for the Saturday,Apri l 24 GNPS Spr ing Plant Sale.

Faci l i t ators have been hard at work col lect ing rescued plants, donat ions fr om nurser ies have been sol ici t ed, andplants have been select ed for purchase. But t he maj or i t y of t he plants needed to make t he GNPS Spring Plant Salea success comes from al l of you. Please j o in a rescue (or t wo) and/ or look in your garden t o see what has happi ly

mul t ip l ied in to the path or o ther par t o f your garden. Wed love to have your contr ibu t ions.

I f you don t have pots, don t want t o pot t hem up, or have p lants pot t ed t hat your spouse wants of f the dr ivewaybefore Apr i l 23 (Set-Up Day), p lease contact me t hrough the Plant Sale Page and arrangements wi l l be made t o

help you out . You may also drop off p lants at McFarlane Nature Park anytim e as arrangements have been madewit h t he Caretaker and McFarlanes Mast er Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County t o care for t he plants. Del iver iescan be made any day but p lease cal l ahead (again, see the Plant Sale Page), so someone wi l l be avai lable t o

p lace the p lants wi t h in the f ence.

The 2010 GNPS Spring Plant Sale countdown has begunliterally, on the GNPS Main Page beside the Plant Sale link.I am very exci ted about the Plant Sale Page t hat our wonderf ul webm ast er, Mike St r ickland, has created f or us. I thelps not only GNPS member s keep updated on t he Plant Sale, but visi t ors gain access to t he inf ormat ion below ,

some of which includes:

An interact ive map f or d irect ions t o McFarlane Nature Park Wanted Plant L ist (updated f requent ly) Plant Sale Flyer for pr int ing or emai l ing t o fr iends, neighborhoods, clubs or anyone else who w ould be in-

t erest ed in nat ive plants. How t o Pot Up Rescued Plant s by Marcia Winchest er Online Volunteer Form - Have you signed up t o volunt eer Fr iday, Apr i l 23, Set -up Day and/ or Saturday,

Apri l 24, Plant Sale Day? If ye s, t hank you! No? The Plant Sale Page has made i t easy t o do so.

Knowing so many of you have already donated pl ants, signed up t o volunteer and have expressed exci t ement about

t he fe l lowship of t he plant sale almost m akes t he beauty of t he spr ing woodlands pale in com parisonalmost .

See you soon!

Sher i Geor ge

Chair, GNPS Spring Plant Sale

2010 GNPS Annual Spring Plant SaleBy Sh e r i G e o r g e



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The GNPS ent ry in t he Discovery(Educational) Division of the 2010Southeastern Flower Show held inFebruary was ent it led Rescue, Reuse,Recycle and was emblem atic of keyissues f acing us all t oday. This back yardgarden patio display was so exceptionaltha t no one would hesi ta t e to f o l low t hemaxims of sust ainabi l i ty and be inspiredto add beaut i fu l na t ives to t he i r ownlandscapes.

The exhibi t f u l f i l led i t s educational purpose very effect ively and was acknowledged by winning f ive maj or awards:

Governor 's Trophy - t he educational exhibi t of greatest d ist inct ion.

American Hort icul tural Society Environmental Award - for an exhibi t of hort icul tural excel lence that bestdemonstrates the bond between hort icul ture and the environment, and inspires the viewer to beauti fy the

home and communit y through ski l l f u l design and appropr iate plant mat er ia l .

Boxwood Garden Club Trophy - for t he educational garden wit h most year-round int erest emphasizing the use

of native Southeast ern pl ants. Garden Club of Georgia Medal - for the exhibi t that best exempl i f ies the mission of the Garden Club of

Georgia: Beaut i f i cat ion, Conservation and Education.

SFS Trophy of Special Merit - for a garden of special m erit .

Bri l l iantly designed by Shannon Pable, theexhibi t was creative, humorous, and glowedwit h gorgeous native pl ant specimens whichwere purchased, borrowed and rescued.GNPS great ly appr eciat es Shannon s eff ort sfor t he many, m any hours she spent on th is

p ro jec t .

GNPS Exhibits 3 Rs at the Southeastern Flower ShowBy Pa u l a Re i t h


(Continued on p age 15)

Firepit and Seating Area

Phot o Credit : Shannon Pable

Weeping White Pine and Water Feature

Photo Credit: Shannon Pable


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We t hank Shannon s team of suppl iersfor t heir generosi t y and hard work: Unl imit ed Landscaping of Bufordprovided labor t o inst al l hardscape,procured, transported and instal led thenat ive p lant m ater ia l , he lped sta f f t heexhibi t , and managed takedown aftert he show. Just Add Wat er Nursery (JAWS)loaned us some except ional native plantmater ia l . Perim eter Takeuchi pr ovided a shiny

new excavator. Atlanta Landscape Materials loanedt he hardscape mater i a l .

We also thank t he 30 GNPS mem bers whovolunteered t o st aff t he exhibi t and assist i nt akedow n. As ambassadors for GNPS, t hese

volunteers descr ibed t o the publ ic t he exhibi t as wel las t he many educational and conservation act ivi t iesand project s undertaken by t he society.

Due to these generous donations of in-kind servicesand GNPS sell ing plants purchased for the exhibit,th is project was completed at no expense to theorganization.

A photo gal lery and more detai l s about t he exhibi t can be found on GNPS websi te:h t t p : / / gnps.org / events/ SEFS_10.php

GNPS Exhibits 3 Rs at the Southeastern Flower Show( C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1 4 )


Agaves in Container s

Phot o Credit : Shannon Pable

Detail of Tea Light s and SedumPhot o Credit : Shannon Pable


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For most of us, a l awn is the m ore or less green, more or l ess short, uni form area of grass out f ront . But, let s look

a l i t t le closer at t he concept . A lawn is defined as an area of r ecreat ional or amenit y land planted w it h grass,which is mainta ined at a low, un i f orm height . The key element in t ha t de f in i t ion is the low, un i fo rm he ight .Lawns are usually mowed at 1 to 2 inches, as often as every 5 to 10 days. For most plants, being mown closely andfr equently i s unnatural . Up to t h is point, American lawns have compri sed almost exclusively int roduced grasses.There wi l l be m ore natives in lawns of t he fut ure. We wi l l examine lawn management, and then some native spe-

cies which m ay be adapted t o lawn use.

Grasses, l ike all herbaceous plants, go through vegeta-t ive, repr oductive and dormant stages. The veget at ivestage is the least problematic stage, as grass plants areusual ly leafy, short and compact in t hat stage. Mowingduri ng the vegetat ive stage is easy, and i mposes lessst ress on t he grass plant , b ecause only small amount s of

growt h are removed at each mowing. Mowing dur ing t heveget at ive stage does not rem ove the meri st ems, thepart of t he grass plant t hat produces new leaf growt h.Inevi tably, grass plants grow int o the reproduct ivest age, in w hich the plant s grow tal l er , and produceflowers and seed. Grasses devote a lot of energy to pro-ducing st ems, f l owers, and seeds. The t a l l stems, f low-ers and seedheads produce a scruff y look, and i tt akes regular mowing to remove t his scruff y growt h.Plant recovery from mowi ng takes more energy dur ingthe reproduct ive s tage, w hen much more p lant mater ia lis removed at each m owing. The energy short age t huscreated leaves less energy available to grow new leaves

and roots. The energy short age also makes t he plantmore subject to heat and drought stresses, diseases and

insect pe st s.

Mowing reduces the regrowt h capaci ty of a grass plant ,and just as import antly, reduces t he depth and vigor oft he root syst em. So t he close, r egular m owing of alawn, whi le producing the short, neat look we treasurein a lawn, i s very st ressful t o the pl ant. In order to helpt he plant survive t he st ress of r egular mow ing, w e haveto add la rge amounts o f f e r t i l i zer nutr ien ts and water ,and we have to prot ect t he plant f rom diseases andother pests wit h pest icide appl icat ions. So maint aininga dense, green, uni f orm grass lawn t akes a lot of ef for t

and cost ly input s.

Most of the grasses we use for lawns are introduced cool-season and warm -season grasses. But t here is an ecological cost t hat we don t notice because i t doesn t aff ectt he appearance of t he lawn. Areas of closely mow n intr oduced grasses off er a lmost no habi t at value to w i ld l i f e.Songbirds need insect s t o feed t o t heir growing nest l ings, and law ns produce very l i t t le in t he way of insect b io-mass. When we devot e more of our home l andscape to manicured law n, w e are disproport ionately reducing thehabitat value to w i ld l i fe and songbirds. In addi t ion, nat ive species usual ly require l ess fer t i l izer, pest icides andirr i gat ion t han simi lar int roduced species. The dark green color of a conventional lawn comes almost enti re ly f rom

Nat ive Alt ernat ives t o Int roduced Grass Law nsB y B i l l S t r i n g e r , O r i g i n a l l y P r i n t e d i n T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e S o u t h C a r o l i n a N a t i v e P l a n t S o c i e t y , V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 2


(Continued on p age 17)

Lit t le bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium

Photo Credit: Bill Stringer

Carpetgrass Axonopus f issi f o l iusPhoto Credi t : Bi l l St r inger


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copious ni t rogen fert i l izer. Lawns produce more pest i -

cide residue and nutr ient runoff per acre than mostagr icul t ural f i e lds. So reducing the proport ion of lawnin our l andscape, and using native al t ernatives to i n-t roduced grasses, wi l l reduce t he monet ary and eco-

logical cost l iness of our l andscapes.

So, w hy don t we j ust replace t he int roduced grassesin our lawns with native grasses? This would reduce theinput s cost s, and increase the habi tat value of ourlawns, r ight? The main reason that w e don t is t hat t he

introduced cool-season tall fescue, bluegrass and rye-

grass; and the introduced warm-season bermudagrass,bahiagrass, and St . August ine, t o lerate much bet t ert han the nat ive grasses, t he mowi ng regimes that re-

sul t in t he tr easured manicured lawn look.

So t o increase t he use of native pl ants in our lawns, w emay have t o make some com promises. We may have tomow the lawn a l i t t l e h igher , and less f requent ly . Th ismeans t hat we m ay need to change our appearancest andards a bi t . We may have t o accept a t a l ler , lessun i fo rm t ur f , and we may have to be sat is f ied wi t h al ighter green color in our new nat ives based lawn. Thelook of our nati ves-based lawn wi l l be l ess manicured,

as we w i l l have t o raise t he mower up t o 3-4 inches,inst ead of 1-2 inches. We wi l l a lso be mowing less fre-quentl y. The color may be a l ighter green to si lver-green, and maybe even a red-brown in t he wint er.With t he forbs, we can leave areas un-mowed dur i ngt heir b l ooming season, and f ind ourselves wit h str ips ofcolored f l owers (yel lows and blues). We can make t helawn even m ore int erest ing by planti ng warm-seasonand coolseason nat ives t ogether . These native grassesare compat ib le wi t h each other , and wi l l g ive usgrowt h over more of t he 12 mont hs. We may be ableto have a mul t i -co lored lawn i f we p lant a nat ive mix-t ure. But t h is wi l l be achieved at a lower use of chemi-

cal inputs, water and labor. And we wi l l be rewardedwi t h many more wi ld l i f e v iewing oppor tun i t ies, andt he knowledge that w e are cont r ibut ing much less pol-

lut ing runoff into our local water bodies.

Nat ive Alt ernat ives t o Int roduced Grass Law ns( C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1 6 )



PanicgrassDichanthel ium commutatum


Grass Leafed asterPit yopsis gramini fo l ia



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There are several native species t hat are wort hy of invest igation. These are species t hat I have observed t o persist

in mow ed highway medians, or t hat have low-growi ng to prostrat e leaves. Some produce large numbers of newveget at ive shoots dur ing much of the growing season. Many are fa ir ly short (up to 18 inches) in t he mat ure growt h

fo rm (see li sts below)

Other al ternatives to ster i le, manicured lawns include convert ingmore of t he lawn area int o native tr ees and beds of nati ve her-baceous plants and shrubs. These w i l l serve t o dramat ical ly in-crease t he habi tat value of t he landscape to songbirds and ot her

w i l d l i fe .

We have long imposed our human-cent ered aest heti c on our pr i -vate landscapes. When our ancestors first came to these shoresthey brought wi t h them the i r f avor i t e p lants f rom home. Since

t hat t ime w e have developed a burgeoning indust ry of im port ingand intr oducing exotic p l ants and landscaping concepts. Thewel l -manicured lawn was a major product of th is approach topersonal landscaping. But this was before research highlightedt he unint ended consequences of import ing our l andscapes. Nowt hat w e are becoming painful ly aware of t he negative im pacts oft h is approach, w e need to f ocus j ust as int entl y on going back tothe landscaping that Mother Nature so effortlessly designs and

impl ement s. We need to l isten to our Mot her!

Warm season perennial native

grasses:

Broomsedge blueste m* AndropogonvirginicusSpl i t beard bluest em Andropogon

t e rnar ius Li t t le b luest em Schizachyriumsco-par iumBeaked panicum * PanicumancepsPurplet op Tridensf lavus Carpetgrass Axonopusf iss i fol ius



Winter color of spl i tbeard bluestem


Creeping lespedezaLespedeza repens

Photo Credit: Bill Str inger



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Cool-season per ennial nat ive grasses

Sil ky oat grass* DanthoniasericeaNeedlegrass*(aka spear grass) Piptochaet iumavenaceumPanicgrass* Dichanthel iumcommutatum

Perennial forbs wit h lawn potent ial

Grass leafed ast er* Pityopsisgramin i fo l ia Elephantsfoot* Elephantopuscarol inianusSpiked hoarypea* Tephrosiaspicat aBlue-eyed grass* Sisyrinchiumangust i fol ium

Creepi ng lespedeza* Lespedezarepens

*Seeds of m ost of t he species in t he l ists above are not avai lable comm ercial ly yet . Smal l amounts of seeds areeasi ly col lect ed by hand local ly i f you wish to exper im ent. We commonly col lect t hese seeds and more on SCNPS

native seed col lect ion f ie ld tr ips.

Definitions

Cool-season grasses - grass species t hat are r eproducti ve in lat e spr ing, and make m ost of t heir year ly growt h dur-

ing spr ing, f a l l and w int er - ( t a l l f escue, Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrasses, etc. ) .

Warm-season grasses - grass species t hat are reproduct ive in late summer & fa l l , and make most of t heir annual

growt h in late spr ing, summer, and ear ly f a l l . - (ber mudagrasses, zoysia. St . August ine, bahiagrass, et c.)




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Nat ive Plant Rescue New sBy Lynn Almand

AAAAAAHHHHHH.SPRING, GLORIOUS SPRING!

As I wr i t e t h is, w e ve moved int o dayl ight savings t ime, my m uscles ache from t oo manyhours in t he garden, and the ephemeral gr in cannot be wiped off my f ace. What a wint er,

but I m ready t o st op th inking about i t and revel in what is coming up in my w oodland

garden. Part of t he aches and pains are from bending over for t he last mont h t rying to w i l l

t he plants out of t he ground. My ear ly spr ing dai ly r i t ual is to see which plant s I rescued

over t he years (or bought at our pl ant sale) are f inal ly coming up.

The t rout l i l ies (Ery t hronium umbi l icatum) are usual ly f i r st . The green mott led leaves

emerge fo l low ed by that cheery l i t t le yel low f lower . And they spread! Babies have a single

non-f low ering leaf t hat w i l l m ature in a year or tw o. Smal l ones are the best t o rescue

because as t he plant m atures, t he bulb goes deeper int o t he ground. I m f inding new ones across t he garden where

I m sure I d idn t p lan t t hem. s tar ch ickweed (Stel lar ia pubera) , hepat ica (Hepat ica amer icana) , t oothwor t

(Cardamine spp.) , f ly poison (Amiant hium muscaetoxicum), pussy t oes (Ant ennar ia p l antagin i f o l ia ) , dwar f crested

iris ( I r is cr i st ata) , b lood root (Sanguinaria canadensis) , and t r i l l ium (Tr i l l ium spp.) are some of my ephemeral

t reasures from plant rescues.

Wel l , i f t hat doesn t w het your appeti t e to sign up for a rescue, go to Mike Str ickland s websi te,

ww w. georgianat ives.net , t hen cl ick on photos for that mont h. You l l see pictures of p lant s as t hey normal ly look in

t he current m onth. What a great t ool to t each ourselves how t o f ind plant s in every season. The plants we expect t o

f ind on rescues are l isted in each month s rescue schedule, so tr y t aking one of t hose l ists and look for t he plant s you

may discover on your next rescue.

Reminders

Please, p lease, p l ease help our faci l i t ators and your fe l low rescuers by keeping your commi t ment t o come to t herescue when you sign up. When you don t come, you may have kept anot her person from signing up i f the r escue is

fu l l . We know t hat em ergencies can happen t o each of us, and i f one does, p l ease let your faci l i t ator know as soon as

possible.

When you are on a rescue or out in your garden, pick a couple of p l ants that you would l i ke t o f ind at our plant sales,

dig t hem and share at t he spr ing plant sale or t he St one Mountain Propagation Project for lat er sales. You wi l l be

helping grow a stronger GNPS.

Sharing

Speaking of sharing, I know many of you rescue native

plants for a proj ectschool, church, publ ic or pr ivat e

garden. We d l ike t o hear about i t , so i f you aresupport ing a proj ect w i t h rescued plants or nati ves fr om

your own garden, please let me know at

[email protected]. Include pict ures i f you d l i ke.

I d l i ke to wr i t e an ar t ic le f o r Nat iveScape about t he

generosi t y of our mem bers.

Hope t o see you soon on a r escue.


An early March rescue in Cherokee Count y

Photo Credit: Mike Strickland


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Next t o t he Carrol l County Ag Center is a 40 acre tr act of land known as the Buff alo Creek Outdoor Education

Center . The area has al l t he maj or growing habi tat condi t ions from a year round running creek t o dry upland pine/hardwood. The f loods and wind storm s of t he last few years have downed large old growt h t rees and dest royed

some of t he natural creek edge habi tat s. In addi t ion, pr ivet and

honeysuckle are f inding a f i rm foot ing.

The West Georgia Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society has

decided to make t his area our f i r st r est orat ion proj ect in t he West

Georgia area. We have appl ied and are await i ng approval t o be

recognized as an official GNPS restoration project. We have the blessing

and encouragement of Bi l l Hodge, County Ext ension Coordinat or. Flo

Hayes wi l l chair t he proj ect and Wendel l Hoomes is t he co-chair .

A wa lkover o f t he proper t y was conducted t o determine t he extent o f

damage, im mediat e needs and some plant ident i f i cat ion. Included in the

walk were, Gina Strickland, President of WGC-GNPS, Mike Strickland,

Kent Johnston, Director of Parks for Carrollton, Ian Davis, County Extension Secretary, Flo Hayes, and Wendell

Hoomes. The plans at t h is t ime involve wor king on t he fr ont area of about 4 or 5 acres t o remove pr ivet and

honeysuckle, cont inue to ident i fy p lant m ater i a l and prepare some areas for p l anting of rescued plants.

We hope to obt ain our plants from rescue si t es and member donations. We are al l exci t ed t o help develop an area

t hat includes a walking t ra i l and is p lanned to be included in a green bel t area for Carrol l ton in t he fut ure. The

opportuni t y t o provide a nat ural area of t h is size for f ut ure generati ons is exci t ing and wi l l keep us busy for

months to come.

Chapt er NewsBy Flo Hayes

Sign at Buffalo Creek Entr ance

Photo Credit: Gina Strickland


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Plant Focus: Star Chickweed

St el l ar ia pubera(Stel-AIR-ee-ah pew-BEAR-ah)By Lynn Almand

Now, don t get exc i ted and get your w eeder out . I m not t a lk ing about the common annual ch ickweed some of usbat t le in our lawns and vegetab le / f lower beds. A l though i t i s re la ted t o t he in t roduced lawn w eed (Stel lar ia media) , St ar Chickweed i s a NE American native t hat i s a desirable plant in t he woodland garden. I t s native habi t atis moist woodlands, and unl ike i t s t hug fami ly r e lat ion, i t is a slow spreader.

I t looks a l i t t le l ike common chickw eed gone Hol lywood. The w hit e st ar- l ike f l owers f i rst appear in Apr i l and areabout one-hal f inch wi de. The f l ower has f i ve petals that are so deeply divided they appear as t en, and t here aret en st amens t hat f orm a r ing above t he petals. The plant f orms a clump w it h several pairs of dark green ovalleaves on th in stems 6 t o 12 inches t a l l . When not in bloom, i t is rather ordi nary, but t he combination of t he br ightwhit e blooms against t he dark green leaves make i t ast r ik ing plant. Laura Mart i n, i n Wi ldf l ower Folklore says, For posi t ive ident i f i ca t ion o f t he p lant , look th rough amagnifying glass at t he hairs on t he st ems. A row of hairs

goes up one side of t he st em t o a pair of leaves and thenswit ches over and goes up t he other side of t he st em t ot he next pair of l eaves and so on.

The flowers produce many seedshence the commonnames birdseed and chickweed, and the f l ower f ormat ionexplains t he use of t he word star. The gener ic nameStel lar ia comes f rom the Lat in word stel lar, m eaning st ar-l ike. I t is grazed by wi ld l i fe and is r ich in copper, vi t aminsA and C. It can be f ound in some European market s as anearly spring green, and when cooked is said to have a fresh-cooked spinach f l avor. I have nei t her grazed nor cookedit, but th is just might be the year I try i t . Folklore suggests

th is p lant can be used to pred ic t t he weather . I f i t i s in fu l lb loom there wi l l be no ra in fo r a t least four hours. I f theblooms shutbe prepared for rain.

Marcia Winchest er l ikes t o combine i t w i t h bloodroot and rue anemone to have three di f ferent sizes of w hi t e

f lowers together . Give i t a t ry w hen you f ind i t on a rescue. I t w i l l pu t the w eedy chickweed to shame!

P l a n t C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s

Perennial Leaf: simpl e, oval , dark green Frui t color: pur ple, r ed in clust ers on st ems Bloom: conspicuous one-hal f inch w hit e in Apr i l -

May; somet imes longer i f adequat e moisture

G r o w i n g C o n d i t i o n s

Water Use: Medium Light requirement: shade Soi l descr ipt ion: m oist , w el l -drained soi ls Nat ive habi tat : r ocky woods & slopes Frequent ly br owsed by animals; b irds love t he seeds

P r o p a g a t i o n

Self seeding. Can be divi ded

References:

h t t p : / / p lan ts.usda.gov, Wi ld f l ower Folklore by Laura C.Mart in, Favor i t e Wi ldf lower Walks of Georgia by HughNourse and Carol Nourse, Wildflowers of the AppalachianTrai l by Leonard M. Adkins, Newcomb s Wildf lower Guideby Lawrence Newcomb


Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera)

Photo Credit: Mike Strickland


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UPCOMING EVENTS


Apr i l 18, Members Garden Tour

Georgia Nati ve Plant Societ y Members Tour - Sunday, Apr i l 18, 10:00 am t o 6:00 pm . GNPS is pleased t o off er our

mem bership t he opportuni t y t o t our gardens of some of our m embers. This year t here are 2 gardens in Mariet t a and 2

in St one Mountain t hat w i l l be showcased. More infor mat ion has been provided via t he memb ership l istserv. Please

contact Jane Trenti n for more in format ion .

Apr il 24, Annual Plant Sale

Mark Your Calendars-( for more det ai ls, p lease ref er t o page 12 of t h is newslett er)

We have a date for the 2010 GNPS Spring Plant Sale!

When? Sat urday, Apri l 24 wi t h set -up Friday, Apri l 23

Wher e? McFarlane Nat ure Park280 Farm Road SEMarietta, GA 30067

If you have any questions, please send an email to Sher i Geor ge, or i f you would l ike t o volunteer t o help, we have setup an Online Form t o make i t easy.

May 2, Four t h Annual GNPS Hike Inn Field Tr ip

On Sunday, May 2nd, up t o tw enty f our lucky GNPS mem bers wi l l have the opport uni ty t o hike the f ive mi le t ra i l f rom

Amicalola Fal ls St ate Park t o t he environment al ly f r iendly Len Foot e Hike Inn in t he North Georgia mountains near

Dawsonvi l le. Last year, at a lmost t h is same t ime, we saw t he pink ladies sl ippers at t heir peak of b l oom along the

t ra i l !

Twelve r ooms have been reserved for our group w it h discounted room r ates thanks to mem ber Lynn Almand's husband

Bob, w ho is on t he board of t he Hike Inn. Anyone wanting a single room wi l l pay only $100.05, and each person in a

double room w i l l pay only $73.03. Dinner on Sunday night and breakfast on Monday morning wi l l be i ncluded in t h is

room rat e. Meals are prepared on si t e and served fami ly st yle in t he dining hal l . Aft er d inner, t here wi l l be some t ype

of ent ert a inment and/ or educational program. There are books and games in t he sunr ise room for t hose want ing to

read or p lay unti l bedtime. Quiet t ime starts at 10 p.m. The dining room opens ear ly for coffee the next morning, and

breakfast is at 8 a.m. Trai l lunches can be ordered t he night befor e and paid for ($6) upon checkout .

As of press t ime, t h is f ie l d tr ip is fu l l . I f you'd l ike to be added to a wait ing l ist f or a cancel lat i on, p lease contact t r ip

leader Jane Trenti nfor f u r ther in format ion .or to s ign up.

April 18, SMPP Garden Tour

SMPP Garden Tour: Nature Garden and SMPP. In cooperation with SMMA.

For more inf ormat ion, p lease emai l Marshall Wilson.


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UPCOMING EVENTS


June 12, SMPP Trails Day Open House

SMPP Trails Day Open House and Cherokee Tr ail Hi ke - June 12. In cooperat ion w it h SMMA. Casual Plant Sale f or at -tendees and visitors.

For more inf ormat ion, p lease emai l Marshall Wilson.

May 11, Member Meet ing The Wonderf ul Worl d of Ferns

May Meeting: The Wonderf ul World of Ferns - May 11. Eleanor Craig wi l l t a lk on t he Wonderful World of Ferns, and

wi l l not only intr oduce you t o many new and unusual var iet ies but w i l l cover care, p lanti ng and many misconcepti ons

we al l have about f erns.

Eleanor Craig is the owner of Fern Ridge Farms, a small specialty nursery specializing in perennial garden ferns. The

nursery has recently moved f rom Canton Georgia t o Cedar Bluff Alabama.

They have won numerous awards at t he Southeast ern Flower Show, int roducing many new var iet ies of hardy garden

ferns. In addi t ion t o over 60 var iet ies of perennial f erns t hey grow t ropical f erns, select annuals, p erennials, and na-

t ive plants.

The May meet ing is held at Day Hal l at t he Atlant a Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Avenue, NE, Atlant a, GA. Normal

schedule: Social Hour at 6:45, Speaker at 7:30 PM

June 1, Field T r ip t o Southern Highlands Reserve at Lake Toxaway, NC

Sout hern Highlands Reserve, at Lake Toxaway. NC, has invit ed GNPS and Georgia Bot anical Societ y m ember s to t ourt heir 100+ acre native plant gardens. Atop t he mount ain, over looking Lake Toxaway, SHR is a pr ivat e native plantgarden open by invi t at ion only t o hort icul t ural ist s and academics. Tuesday, June 1st was chosen for t he tour in t hehopes of seeing t he Vaseyi Azaleas at t heir peak. Get a gl impse of spectacular view s and the beaut i f u l p lant s ath t t p : / / southernhighlandsreserve.org.

John Turner, Executive Direct or, and Richard Bryson, staff nati ve plant special ist , w i l l guide us on a tour of t he Re-serve, including the Core Park, a ser ies of dest ination gardens, as wel l as t he wat erfal l and cl i f f areas, home t o spraycl i f f comm unit ies and many rare and unusual mountain plant s.

We l l meet at SHR at 10 am Tuesday, June 1. St ow your lunch in the fr idge at t heir meet ing faci l i t y, Chest nut Lodge,and fol low t he leaders on the Core Park walk. This is an easy st rol l w i t h wonderful view s. We l l ret urn to t he lodgefor lunch.

Aft er lunch, w e l l w alk thr ough acres of Vaseyi azaleas. This is an invigorat ing, but easy hike. Those who want ast r enuous workout can take the w ater fa l l w a lk a f te rw ards. Th is is beaut i f u l and fun but not fo r t hose wi t h impai r -ments to ver t ica l c l imbs. I f you do the walk t o t he water fa l l , expect t he day to end by 4 PM.

You need only to pack your lunch. On t he tr a i ls you need a camera, a hand lens i f you wish, and a wat er bott le. Awalking st ick may be useful on the w aterf al l w alk, but not necessary as t here are many handholds.

Southern Highland Reserve is approximat ely 3.5 hours fr om met ro Atlant a. Whi le i t is cert ain ly possible t o dr ive upearly t hat m orning, p art icipant s can consider staying over on Monday night in Cashiers, NC or Brevard , NC. Carpool ing

is encouraged and we can pair up f o lks closer t o t he day of t he event.

Part ic ipati on is l im it ed. To reserve your spot, p lease send mai l t o: [email protected]


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Georgia Nat ive Plant Societ y Memb ership & Renew al

Memberships are eff ect i ve for one calendar year, beginning January 1st .

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Please mail completed renewal form to the following address: GNPS, PO Box 422085, Atlanta, GA 30342-2085

Documents

April 2010 Native Scape ~ Georgia Native Plant Society