DEL.ICIO.USGroup saves native plants
For the AJC
Thursday, July 02, 2009
If you look closely enough while hiking through Georgia woodlands, you may find a rare treasure: the pink lady-slipper. Easily recognizable, this member of the orchid family has two pale pink lobes resembling slippers.
And should you be a member of the nonprofit Georgia Native Plant Society on a sanctioned rescue mission, you may — gingerly — dig up the pink lady-slipper, store it in a plastic bag and transport it to safer grounds.
Photos by Kent D. Johnson / kdjohnson@ajc.com
Martin Taylor of Doraville and Pat Ware of Gainesville discuss plants in the rescue area. The Georgia Native Plant Society’s rescue mission to transfer indigenous plants from future building sites to restoration projects involves going onto sites and transferring plants that would otherwise be lost to development.
“Saving native plants and using them in the landscape contributes to biodiversity and supports local ecosystems,” says Marcia Winchester, president of the society. “Each native plant has its niche in the ecosystem — perhaps as a food or nectar source, shelter for an insect or animals, or to aid in natural erosion control by slowing down rainwater runoff.”
The organization’s goal is to help preserve indigenous plants and sustain the local food chain. Native plants are an integral part of the chain, as are native insects that feed on them, as are native birds that, in their turn, feed on the insects. Should the population of native plants decline, this fragile balance is jeopardized.
Rescued species are donated to a variety of restoration projects in the metro area, including Piedmont Park, Grant Park, Stone Mountain Park and Cherokee County Water Authority’s rain garden. Plants also go to schoolyards, church gardens and Master Gardeners’ demonstration gardens. Volunteers also may keep the plants for their home gardens.
“Once I joined several [society] outings, I found I wanted more movement, sound and color in my own backyard,” says Jodi Jones of Tucker, an active rescuer. “I’d been most interested in our native critters before that. Then, I fell in love with the native plants.” Once secured in her yard, she says, “They become almost like your children. I find rescuing native plants and having them in my own yard very relaxing.”
But, says society member Lyn Almand of Suwanee, “There’s a lot more to plant rescue than getting plants for yourself. The rescue gets us back to our childhood days when we spent a lot of time in the woods. It’s a feeling of connectedness, of discovery.”
Founded in 1994, the society has more than 800 members. On rescue missions, like one held last Sunday in Grayson, 30 to 50 plants, shrubs and trees will be collected. Missions consist of about 15 volunteers and two trained facilitators, and typically take place on future building sites where the flora is at risk. Six to eight missions are held in a month, except in July, August and January.
Important species
In addition to the pink lady-slipper, other native plants sought on rescue missions include:
- The black cohosh, distinguished by tall stalks topped with small white flowers, which serve as a cradle for the larvae of the spring azure butterfly and a source of nectar for bees
- The Christmas fern, the most drought-tolerant fern in the state, chosen as the Georgia Native Plant Society as plant of the year in 2008
- The spider lily, a delicate plant with a flower resembling a small white star.
To volunteer for rescue missions and find out how to cultivate native Georgia plants in your backyard, go to Georgia Native Plant Society. The site has abundant features, including:
- Sources for purchase of Georgia native plants
- Upcoming organization meetings and other events
- A reading list compiled by a society member
- Contact information for society members available as guest speakers for garden and other groups
- Volunteer opportunities
- A gallery with images of native plants and information on their habitats and care.
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