Short answer
Georgia’s state flower is the Cherokee rose, its state tree the live oak and its state wildflower the azalea. The best-sourced places to see plants are north Georgia for fall color, the Chattahoochee River for spring bloom and Cumberland Island for dune plants.
This guide sticks to what agencies, parks and universities say, grouped by place and season, and it lists what we could not confirm. Many Georgia wildflowers are protected, so we point to gardens and parks, never to a rare plant’s spot.
Wildflowers, Trees and Plants You Might See
Where and when come from the source in the last column. Bloom times are “typically”: they shift with weather from year to year, so check with the park, garden or preserve before you go. Information as of .
State Symbols
| Plant | Where and when, per the source | Care note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee rose (state flower) | The New Georgia Encyclopedia lists the Cherokee rose as the state flower. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens grows it in its Rose Garden. | Look at it in a garden; it is not a plant to dig up from the wild. | New Georgia Encyclopedia: quick facts; New Georgia Encyclopedia: State Botanical Garden |
| Azalea (state wildflower) | UGA Extension calls the azalea Georgia’s state wildflower. Our Georgia State Symbols guide has the code section and the year. Native azaleas are in the Native Flora Garden at the State Botanical Garden. | One azalea, the plumleaf azalea, is on the state’s protected list as threatened. See Carnivorous Plants and Protected Rarities. | UGA Extension; New Georgia Encyclopedia: State Botanical Garden |
| Live oak (state tree) | The Encyclopedia lists the live oak as the state tree. On Cumberland Island the National Park Service says live oaks reach 60 to 80 feet with branches that stretch 120 feet, and keep their leaves through the year. Salt spray prunes the oaks nearest the sea into twisted shapes. The park says an estimated 80 percent of the island’s live oaks were cut by 1802 for ship timber. | Spanish moss and resurrection fern grow on the branches. Do not pull either off. | New Georgia Encyclopedia: quick facts; NPS: Cumberland trees and shrubs; NPS: Cumberland maritime forest |
| Peach, pecan, muscadine grape, Vidalia onion and peanut | The Encyclopedia lists the peach as the state fruit, the pecan as the state nut, the muscadine as the state grape, the Vidalia onion as the state vegetable and the peanut as the state crop. | New Georgia Encyclopedia: quick facts |
Spring and Summer Wildflowers
| Plant | Where and when, per the source | Care note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early spring along the Chattahoochee: trout lily, serviceberry, redbud | The National Park Service says trout lilies, serviceberry and redbuds bloom in early spring along the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, in the Atlanta area. It gives no months. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia also lists an eastern redbud among its blooms. | Stay on the trail. The park’s page was last updated in 2019, so call before you go. | NPS: Chattahoochee River plants; State Botanical Garden of Georgia |
| Azaleas, trillium and coreopsis | The same park page says these follow the early spring bloom. No months are given. | Several trilliums are on Georgia’s protected list. Photograph them; never dig them. | NPS: Chattahoochee River plants; Georgia DNR rule 391-4-10 |
| Native azaleas in a garden | The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens keeps a collection of native azaleas in its Native Flora Garden, a plot of species native to Georgia and the Southeast. | Check the garden’s site for what is in bloom. | New Georgia Encyclopedia: State Botanical Garden; State Botanical Garden of Georgia |
| Southern magnolia | Blooms in late spring and through summer, with white, fragrant flowers up to 8 inches across, says the National Park Service at Cumberland Island. It points to the trees near Dungeness and an avenue lined with them. | Magnolia cones and seeds feed birds in winter; leave them be. | NPS: Cumberland trees and shrubs |
| Wildflowers on the Russell-Brasstown Byway | The Forest Service calls the 40-mile loop in the north Georgia mountains ideal for colorful wildflowers or fall color. It names no species or months for the byway. | Stay on the trail and off private land. The byway’s own pages give 38 and 40 miles, so we say about 40. | Forest Service: Russell-Brasstown Byway; Forest Service: about the forests |
Fall Color and Fall Wildflowers
| Plant | Where and when, per the source | Care note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| What turns, by species | The Georgia Forestry Commission’s October 14, 2026 leaf report named yellow-poplar, sourwood, dogwood, birch, blackgum and red maple as the early changers, with oaks, hickories and American beech to follow. The Forest Service says leaf peepers go to Brasstown Bald, Tallulah Gorge and Anna Ruby Falls for golden hickories, scarlet oaks and tulip poplars. | Weather decides the timing, so check before you drive. | Georgia Forestry Commission: Leaf Watch; Forest Service: fall colors |
| How it moves | The Forest Service says colors cascade down the mountains starting at the highest peaks, and a clear, dry, cool October keeps great color around longer. The Georgia Forestry Commission’s reports give the percent of leaf change above and below 3,000 feet. Brasstown Bald, the state’s highest point, is 4,784 feet. | Check the Commission’s latest Leaf Watch report before you drive. | Forest Service: scenic drives; Georgia Forestry Commission: Leaf Watch; New Georgia Encyclopedia: quick facts |
| Fall wildflowers: asters, goldenrod, sunflowers, cardinal flower | The Forest Service says many wildflowers bloom in fall: blue and white asters, yellow goldenrods and sunflowers and red cardinal flower. That page covers national forests nationwide, not Georgia alone. The Chattahoochee River park names cardinal flower in late summer, plus goldenrod and scarlet sumac color in the fall. | Leave them for the pollinators and the next visitor. | Forest Service: fall wildflowers; NPS: Chattahoochee River plants |
| Drives and short walks | The Forest Service suggests the Russell-Brasstown Byway, US 76 between Blairsville and Clayton and State Highway 197 between Clarkesville and US 76. Helton Creek Falls near Blairsville is a short walk to an 80-foot waterfall with high-elevation color. | Mountain roads get busy at peak color; give yourself time (general guidance). | Forest Service: scenic drives |
Piedmont Plants
| Plant | Where and when, per the source | Care note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennesaw Mountain open uplands | A National Park Service survey describes the upper slopes of Kennesaw and Little Kennesaw Mountains as open glades and woodlands on thin, rocky soil, in a 2,923-acre urban park in Cobb County. It counted 184 plant species in 14 plots. The park also holds plants Georgia DNR lists as species of special concern; we do not name them. | Stay on the trail. Heavy deer browse and invasive Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle and Japanese stiltgrass are all named in the survey. | NPS: Kennesaw Mountain vegetation monitoring |
| Piedmont plant communities at a botanical garden | The Encyclopedia says the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, 313 acres in Athens, has plant communities and habitats common to the Georgia Piedmont, with five miles of nature trails. | Check the garden’s site for hours and what is open. | New Georgia Encyclopedia: State Botanical Garden |
Barrier Island Dune Plants
| Plant | Where and when, per the source | Care note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Railroad vine and beach croton | The National Park Service says these low, creeping plants are the first to take hold on dunes at Cumberland Island, followed by sea oats. | Stay off the dunes. | NPS: Cumberland beaches |
| Sea oats | The park says sea oats grow deep roots that hold the dunes in place and are protected by federal law because they stabilize the dune system. | Never pick or pull sea oats. Cross only at marked paths. | NPS: Cumberland beaches |
| Wax myrtle and beautyberry | Wax myrtle is a salt-tolerant evergreen shrub, 10 to 20 feet tall, on the dunes. The park says wax myrtle and beautyberry fill the interdune meadows and feed migrating birds. | The park calls wax myrtle a protected resource: no collecting the berries. | NPS: Cumberland trees and shrubs; NPS: Cumberland beaches |
| Maritime forest understory | Behind the dunes, live oaks shade sparkleberry, hollies and saw palmetto. Grape, poison ivy, crossvine and Virginia creeper climb the canopy. Cumberland Island has over 500 kinds of vascular plants. | Poison ivy grows here; see Staying Safe. | NPS: Cumberland maritime forest; NPS: Cumberland plants |
| Redbay | The park says redbay trees are threatened by laurel wilt, a fungal disease spread by an invasive beetle, and infected trees usually die within two years. | Do not move firewood (general guidance). | NPS: Cumberland trees and shrubs |
Carnivorous Plants and Protected Rarities
| Plant | Where and when, per the source | Care note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher plants | Georgia’s state rule lists seven kinds of pitcher plant (Sarracenia) as protected, from unusual to endangered. We do not publish where any of them grow. | Do not dig any. Georgia DNR’s proposed list says some protected plants may be sold only if grown from pre-existing horticultural stock with papers. Buy from a nursery, and ask for those papers. | Georgia DNR rule 391-4-10; Georgia DNR: protected species list |
| Trillium, lady’s-slippers and wood lily | The rule lists three trilliums (persistent, dwarf, relict), three lady’s-slippers (pink, Kentucky, yellow) and two lilies, the Michigan lily and the wood lily. We name no places. | Never pick or dig. Orchids and lilies seldom survive transplanting (general guidance). | Georgia DNR rule 391-4-10 |
| Plumleaf azalea | The state rule lists plumleaf azalea as threatened. The Encyclopedia says Callaway Gardens, in Pine Mountain, is the site of the world’s largest azalea garden. We do not publish where plumleaf azalea grows wild. | See azaleas in a garden and take no cuttings. | Georgia DNR rule 391-4-10; New Georgia Encyclopedia: Callaway Gardens |
| Where to see carnivorous plants | We point you to a botanical garden, not a wild spot. Ask the State Botanical Garden of Georgia or the Atlanta Botanical Garden what is in its collection; that is not confirmed here. | Call first. | State Botanical Garden of Georgia; Atlanta Botanical Garden |
Public Gardens and Plant Groups
| Plant | Where and when, per the source | Care note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens | The garden’s site says admission is free and it is open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. except UGA holidays. See our State Botanical Garden guide. | Hours change; check the site. | State Botanical Garden of Georgia |
| Atlanta Botanical Garden | Gardens in Atlanta and Gainesville. Its site lists events and tickets; its plant collections are not confirmed here. | Check the site for hours, tickets and what is in bloom. | Atlanta Botanical Garden |
| Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain | The Encyclopedia calls it the site of the world’s largest azalea garden. We could not confirm its bloom dates or hours from the garden’s own site. | Check Callaway Gardens for bloom dates. | New Georgia Encyclopedia: Callaway Gardens |
| Georgia Botanical Society | Runs more than 25 field trips and workshops a year and an annual overnight Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, with experts leading. Membership is open to all. | Check its schedule for dates. | Georgia Botanical Society |
| Georgia Native Plant Society | Hosts a fall and a spring plant sale each year, selling plants native to Georgia. | Check the site for sale dates. | Georgia Native Plant Society |
Bloom Calendar: What Typically Blooms When
The sources we read give seasons more than months. “Typically” is deliberate: check the site for what is open.
| Season | Typically in bloom or in color | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Early spring | Trout lily, serviceberry and redbud along the Chattahoochee; native azaleas and trillium follow | NPS Chattahoochee River |
| Late spring and summer | Southern magnolia blooms on Cumberland Island; wildflowers on the Russell-Brasstown Byway (no species named) | NPS Cumberland; Forest Service |
| Late summer | Cardinal flower along the Chattahoochee | NPS Chattahoochee River |
| Fall | Goldenrod, asters, sunflowers and cardinal flower; scarlet sumac color; mountain leaf color starts on the highest peaks and moves down, with the Commission’s October 14, 2026 report putting that year’s mountain peak in late October to early November | Forest Service; NPS; Georgia Forestry Commission |
| Winter | No source we read lists wild bloom; visit a botanical garden | State Botanical Garden of Georgia |
Where to See Them
We only point to places an official page names.
- Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway: about 40 miles through the Chattahoochee National Forest; Dukes Creek Falls, Brasstown Bald and Anna Ruby Falls are on or near it.
- Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area: riverbank spring bloom and fall color in the Atlanta area.
- Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Cobb County: upland glades and woods.
- Cumberland Island National Seashore: dunes and maritime forest; reached by ferry from St. Marys, phone 912 882-4336. Our Cumberland Island guide has the details.
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens: native azaleas, the Cherokee rose and Piedmont plant communities.
- Also see our guides to Best Hikes in Georgia and Georgia State Symbols.
Staying Safe and Leaving Plants Be
- Do not pick, dig or pull plants. Under the Wildflower Preservation Act, no one may cut, dig, pull up or otherwise remove a protected species from public land without written authorization from Georgia DNR, and violations are a misdemeanor. DNR says its listing also bars taking protected plants from private land without the landowner’s permission (Act text; DNR). When in doubt, leave it.
- Poison ivy: UGA Extension says it can be a vine or a shrub with three leaflets arranged alternately, and the leaf shape is highly variable. Virginia creeper usually has five leaflets, and boxelder seedlings have leaves opposite each other. Poison oak, less common in Georgia landscapes, always has lobed leaflets. “Leaves of three, let it be” is still good advice (UGA Extension).
- Stay on the trail and off the dunes. Sea oats and dune plants are what hold a barrier island together.
- Wax myrtle and other park plants: take nothing from a National Park Service area. Cumberland Island says no collecting wax myrtle berries (NPS).
- Buy, do not dig: if you want a native plant, buy it from a nursery or a native plant sale, and ask where it came from.
- Private land: most wildflower spots are not public. Ask first and stay out of posted land.
What We Could Not Verify
- The statute and year that make the azalea the state wildflower, and the code sections for the other state plant symbols. UGA Extension and the New Georgia Encyclopedia say what they say; our State Symbols guide cites the code. Georgia’s Secretary of State can confirm.
- Georgia DNR proposed the first changes to the state protected species list since 2006 (plants from 155 to 208 species). Its Board of Natural Resources meeting on the proposal was scheduled for October 27, 2026, and the outcome is not confirmed. The names above come from the rule text currently posted. Check georgiawildlife.com/ProtectedSpeciesList.
- The Wildflower Preservation Act text we read is a copy dated 2017, and DNR’s page cites the Act under a different section number. Ask DNR for the current code text.
- Georgia State Parks: wildflower sites, picking rules and bloom reports. Check the park or Georgia State Parks before you go.
- Bloom months for dogwood, azalea and trillium in Georgia. The sources give seasons, not dates. UGA Extension or the garden you visit can confirm.
- Callaway Gardens and Atlanta Botanical Garden: bloom dates, hours and plant collections. Check each garden.
- Which garden holds carnivorous plants: ask the garden.
- Wildflower spots on the coastal plain, and a Forest Service species list for Georgia. No page we read covers them.
- How the fall color is going this year: the Georgia Forestry Commission report we read is dated October 14, 2026. Read its latest.
- Sea oats and federal law: the Cumberland Island page says they are protected; the law and the state rule are not confirmed here.
- The Russell-Brasstown Byway length: the forest’s pages say 38 and 40 miles.
- Several park pages (Chattahoochee River, Cumberland Island) were last updated between 2018 and 2022, so call before you go.
Found something rare? Enjoy it, photograph it, and do not post its exact spot online.
More Guides
- Georgia Wildlife
- Georgia State Symbols
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia
- Best Hikes in Georgia
- Cumberland Island
- Outdoors and Hiking
Questions People Ask
What is Georgia’s state flower?
The Cherokee rose is the state flower, the live oak is the state tree and UGA Extension calls the azalea the state wildflower. The peach is the state fruit.
When do azaleas bloom in Georgia?
The sources we read give a sequence, not dates: the National Park Service says azaleas, trillium and coreopsis follow the early spring bloom of trout lily, serviceberry and redbud along the Chattahoochee. Check the garden or park for dates.
When is fall color at its best in north Georgia?
It starts on the highest peaks and moves down. The Georgia Forestry Commission’s October 14, 2026 report put that year’s mountain peak in late October to early November. Check its latest Leaf Watch report.
Where can I see fall color in Georgia?
The Forest Service names Brasstown Bald, Tallulah Gorge and Anna Ruby Falls, plus the Russell-Brasstown Byway, US 76 between Blairsville and Clayton and State Highway 197.
Is it illegal to pick wildflowers in Georgia?
Removing a protected plant from public land without written DNR authorization is against the Wildflower Preservation Act, and DNR says the listing also covers taking from private land without permission. Do not pick any.
Are there carnivorous plants in Georgia?
The state lists seven kinds of pitcher plant as protected. We do not publish where they grow; ask a botanical garden what it has.
What plants grow on Georgia’s barrier islands?
On Cumberland Island the park names railroad vine, beach croton, sea oats, wax myrtle, beautyberry and a live oak maritime forest.
How do I tell poison ivy from other vines?
Poison ivy has three leaflets arranged alternately, but leaf shape varies. Virginia creeper has about five leaflets and boxelder seedlings have opposite leaves, per UGA Extension.
How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.
Sources
- New Georgia Encyclopedia: quick facts
- UGA Extension (Paulding County)
- Georgia DNR: protected species list
- Georgia DNR rule 391-4-10
- Wildflower Preservation Act text (2017 copy)
- UGA Extension: poison ivy
- Georgia Forestry Commission: Leaf Watch
- Forest Service: fall colors
- Forest Service: scenic drives
- Forest Service: Russell-Brasstown Byway
- Forest Service: about the forests
- Forest Service: fall wildflowers
- NPS: Cumberland trees and shrubs
- NPS: Cumberland maritime forest
- NPS: Cumberland beaches
- NPS: Cumberland plants
- NPS: Chattahoochee River plants
- NPS: Kennesaw Mountain vegetation monitoring
- New Georgia Encyclopedia: State Botanical Garden
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia
- New Georgia Encyclopedia: Callaway Gardens
- Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Georgia Botanical Society
- Georgia Native Plant Society
Checked by It’s Georgia. Cite this page: It’s Georgia (https://itsgeorgia.com/things-to-do/georgia-wildflowers-and-plants/), checked . Free to quote with a link.
The It's Georgia Editorial Team writes every answer on this site around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each answer shows the date it was last updated.
