Native Ferns of the Georgia Piedmont.

*Please note new location for this Sunday meeting!

Ferns are one of those groups of plants that can be overwhelming to identify! The goal of this program is to help you recognize some of the most common or commonly planted native ferns found in the Georgia Piedmont. We will focus primarily on 12 native ferns found in this area (and a couple from the Coastal Plain that provide specific needs in native gardens). We will also see a sampling of some that may be less suitable for gardens but you'll be likely to encounter them in nature. And finally we will cover 3 invasive non-native ferns that we need to eliminate from our gardens and natural areas.

After the talk, we will have a limited number of native ferns that you can purchase (benefiting the Athens Chapter). These will include southern lady fern, New York fern, broad beech fern, cinnamon fern, royal fern, southern shield fern, marginal wood fern, and possibly hay-scented fern and sensitive fern.

Our meetings are all free and open to the general public.

Connie Gray spent many months studying Georgia ferns for her research for a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture. Working in the real world allowed few opportunities to continue this specialty, especially after she relocated the Colorado Front Range for several years – an ecosystem with very few ferns! After returning to Athens, she found there was a lot of interest among fellow plant nerds to learn more about them. In 2022, she offered her first presentation for this chapter and has since shared it with other GNPS chapters and several Master Gardener groups. She has also been teaching an elective workshop for the Certificate in Native Plants at the State Botanical Garden.

Also check out other Meetups in Bogart, Workshops in Bogart.