Perennial Symposium Focuses on Plants from Around the World

Plants that are familiar in Georgia’s landscapes and on our dinner table and the plants we use for medicine come from all over the world. Embark on a day-long plant exploration at Plants from Around the World in our Everyday Lives: Ornamentals, Foods, Drinks & Medicines on Tuesday, October 16. Learn from several experts about plants that have come here from Mexico and the desert Southwest, the Mediterranean, Africa, and China. Knowing more about the origins of these plants helps us to understand the best growing conditions for them to thrive in our gardens and to choose the best plants for specific growing conditions. This symposium will also include a talk about important drinks of the world: coffee, chocolate and tea, and how these crops affect environments, cultures and songbirds. After hearing about plants from throughout the world, participants are invited to stretch their legs and follow International Garden Curator Billie Gotsch on a walking tour through the International Garden.

This symposium will be held on Tuesday, October 16 from 8:45 am to 3:00 pm in the Callaway Building Auditorium, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, 2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens and costs $60 (including a buffet lunch.) Preregistration is required. A plant sale offering perennial plants will be held in the front plaza of the Callaway Building and open to the public from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. For more information or to register call 706-542-6156 or visit botgarden.uga.edu.