New bill could change Georgia's official flower to the sweetbay magnolia
A new bill in the Georgia House of Representatives could change the state's official flower.
The Cherokee rose has been the state flower for 90 years, but advocates with the Georgia Native Plant Society say lawmakers back then incorrectly believed it was native to the state and a legacy of the Cherokee people who lived on the land.
House Bill 955 would change the flower to the native sweetbay magnolia, a small evergreen understory tree with a fragrant white flower.
The bill, known as the Caroline Romberg Silcox Act, was introduced by Republican Rep. Deborah Silcox, who represents part of Fulton County.
Not feeling rosy in Georgia
Advocates for the change point to the Cherokee rose's designation as an invasive pest. The plant was introduced to the state from China in the early 1800s.
Due to its designation, the plant isn't sold or suggested to be used as a landscaping plant anywhere in the state, while the magnolia can be planted across Georgia.
The Georgia Native Plant Society said that the legends about the Cherokee rose's connection with the Native American tribe in the area were just that, mere legends.
"The myth that the Cherokee Rose was special to the Cherokee people was popularized many years after the tribe was forced to leave the state during the infamous Trail of Tears and has no basis in fact," the group wrote in a release. "The Georgia Cherokee Community Alliance not only supports removing the Cherokee Rose as the state flower but also encourages a native plant that was known by their people for the thousands of years that they lived in Georgia be designated as such. The Georgia Council for American Indian Concerns, representing multiple native American tribes throughout the state, is supporting the change as well."
The magnolia is also a host plant for the state butterfly, the Eastern tiger swallowtail.
The bill would also designate April as Native Plant Month in the state. It is now waiting for a hearing in the House Special Rules Committee.