Elliottia racemosa

Elliottia racemosa, the Georgia plume, is one of the rarest and most coveted of all southeastern native plants, a deciduous shrub or small tree that lifts great feathery plumes of white flowers in the heat of summer. First found by the naturalist William Bartram in 1775 and named for the botanist Stephen Elliott, this member of the heath family grows wild in only a scattering of Georgia localities and almost nowhere else on earth. To grow one is to hold a genuine botanical treasure.

The rarity of the Georgia plume is written into the plant's very biology. Georgia plume cannot fertilize itself, and in the wild the plants spread by root suckers into large single clones with no compatible mate nearby, so viable seed is almost never set and wild seedlings are essentially unknown. That reproductive puzzle, not a lack of admirers, is why the species is so seldom offered and so highly prized; nursery-grown plants like these help take the pressure off the few remaining wild colonies.

In June and July the erect, branching plumes open dozens of small, four-petaled white flowers, lightly fragrant and alive with bees. Georgia plume asks for the same conditions as a native azalea, a well-drained, sandy, acid soil in full sun or light shade, and will not tolerate wet feet or heavy ground. Given the right spot, the plant proves surprisingly adaptable and even cold-hardy well north of its Georgia home.

Use Elliottia racemosa as a specimen and centerpiece in a native, heath, or woodland garden, among azaleas and blueberries in acid, sandy beds where the summer plumes can be admired at close range. Deciduous, with reportedly fine reddish fall color, this is a connoisseur's plant with a real conservation story behind it. Because rarity, demand, and our limited supply all press against one another, we must regret to limit this plant to one per customer.