PERIMETER COLLEGE NATIVE BOTANICAL GARDEN
The Botanical Garden at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College, Decatur campus, features two main areas: the Native Plant Garden and the Ferns of the World. It showcases over 4,000 species of native, rare, and endangered plants from the Southeast and the U.S., including ferns, bog plants, shrubs, and perennials. The garden offers educational trails and areas like Shade and Sun perennial gardens. Visitors can explore the beauty of U.S. native plants, with updated features like the Sun Beds and Granite Outcrop.
For More Information Contact us at [email protected]
History
In 1990, George Sanko, professor of Biology and Botany, founded the DeKalb College Botanical Garden to preserve native Southeast plants. It later became the Georgia State University Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden, home to one of the largest collections of native plants in Georgia. Also known as the Wildflower Center of Georgia, it includes the Ferns of the World, possibly the largest fern collection in the U.S. or world. Xeric beds feature Georgia and southwestern U.S. ferns, showcased at the 2007 Southeastern Flower Show and thrived in Atlanta’s climate. On September 27, 2024, GSU received a “Bee Campus” designation from the Xerces Society for its pollinator-friendly practices. See more at: https://sustainability.gsu.edu/gardens-and-greenspaces/
The Native Plant Garden
Sun berm: woody shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and small trees
Xeric ferns: sun ferns native to Georgia and the southwestern US
Southeastern bogs: pitcher plants, sundews and other carnivorous plants and their companions
Deciduous shrubs: azaleas, magnolias, viburnums, and more
Shade beds: spring ephemerals including trilliums, Virginia bluebells as well as shrubs
Sand Hill: endemics to Georgia sand hills
Woodland: under story trees and shrubs, as well as perennials
Ferns of the World Garden
Events
Great Southeast Pollinator Census
The Great Georgia Pollinator Census is a citizen-based project created by the University of Georgia. Participants track the amount of insect activity on a native plant for 15 minutes. This data is important so the Bee Campus Committee knows how pollinator populations are doing over time.
GSU’s Decatur Campus hosted the 2024 Great Southeast Pollinator Census. During the two-day period from August 23-24, a total of 1,069 pollinators were counted. The most frequently counted pollinators were butterflies and moths that were counted 304 times. A total of 15 different plant species were chosen to count at.