G E O R G I A G R E E N I N D U S T RY A S S O C I AT I O N
TEXT Lauren Muller Lauren Muller is the Conservation Outreach Coordinator for the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Muller is passionate about preserving the integrity of local plant and insect diversity in our natural and urban areas through habitat restoration and creating more ecologically relevant landscapes. PHOTOS Allan Cressler (Thermopsis villosa), Richard Ware (Pycnanthemum virginianum and Conoclinium coelestinum), Shannah Montgomery (Lonicera sempervirens) ABOVE FROM LEFT Carolina Lupine (Thermopsis villosa) Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
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he start of 2021 marks the inaugural year for the Georgia Pollinator Plants of the Year (GPPY) program. And with this new year comes hope for a return to normalcy, hope for new opportunities, but also hope for the diminutive but ever-important pollinator. A year ago, the 2021 GPPY winners were announced as a call to arms for Georgia’s robust green industry to participate in this new program by growing the four winning plants: Conradina, Sweet Pepperbush, Downy Goldenrod and Butterfly Weed. Plants are annually chosen for the following four categories: Spring Bloomer, Summer Bloomer, Fall Bloomer, and Georgia Native and are proven to be top performers in the landscape while also provide valuable resources for critically important pollinators. The latter function is one that has become an increasingly significant consideration as we select plants for urban and suburban landscapes, which can harbor diverse insect populations. Once again, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and the selection committee of accomplished horticulturists, entomologists and conservation experts proudly share the
