Plant Biology Department - UGA

A sneak peek into our Botany Teaching Greenhouses, where we keep tons of plants including ancient ones such as Welwitschia mirabilis, commonly known as a living fossil - native to the Namib desert along the southern east coast of Africa!

The pollinators are still out and thriving! Common Butterfly Bush is on its way into “hibernation” after its flowering season, but deadheading will produce more blooms and bring more pollinators to your yards! 🦋 Happy Wednesday Bulldawgs! 🐾

Verbena & Bombus! Can anyone guess the species??? is in full bloom and a perfect peaceful spot for some meditation and pollinator watching right now! Happy Summer Dawgs! 🐝🌸🐾

HERB POP UP SHOP! We’ll be out on DW Brooks Lawn in between Miller Plant Sciences & Science Learning Center selling HERBS AND SUCCULENTS FOR $3! 🌸🌱(Venmo & Zelle ONLY!)

We’ll be here for most of the afternoon today - come say hi!

Our greenhouse is full of beautiful herbs, including these gorgeous variegated Nasturtiums, for THIS WEEKEND’s Plant Biology Graduate Student Association’s PLANT SALE! 🌱🌸🍀🌼🌿🌷🌱

We will be in front of PGF GREENHOUSE 4 off of Riverbend Road near UGA’s Campus

📍(107 Riverbend Rd, Athens GA) 🪴

🗓️ FRIDAY APRIL 4TH
🗓️ SATURDAY APRIL 5th

🕑 FROM 8:30AM - 6:00PM

🪴ALL HERBS ARE PRICED AT $3 and come in four inch pots!

✨ We will also be selling alongside the UGA Plant Breeding Grad Student Association where they will have a variety of vegetables 🍅🥬🍆🫑- a perfect combination for your kitchen oriented garden this summer!

We look forward to seeing you all this weekend at our plant sale which supports our PBIO PBGSA and helps to fund programming for student activities, education and outreach! 🌸

UGA Plant Biology TRAVELS TO CRUSTACEAN NATION 🦞 to support our favorite hockey team - the Athens ROCK LOBSTERS 🦞 Claws Up for the Weekend!!!

One day of giving. A lifetime of opportunities. Join to support Plant Biology today!

UGA Plant Biology is partnering with UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics to bring you an HERB and VEGETABLE Sale during THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL! 🦋🌿🌸

🗓️ SALE DATES: Friday April 4th & Saturday April 5th

🕰️ SALE TIME: Friday & Saturday 8:30AM - 6PM

Pre-Orders & details for pre-order pickup (including a Thursday 04.03 evening pickup option) are available at the QR codes & at the following links below…

🌱 HERBS: [tinyurl.com/PBGSAplantsale2025]

🍆 VEGGIES: [tinyurl.com/IPBGGplantsale2025]

📍SALE LOCATION: Outside of PGF Greenhouse FOUR next to UGA CAGT

PGF Headhouse
107 Riverbend Road
Athens, GA 30605

It is UGA PLANT SALE SEASON ONCE AGAIN! UGA Plant Biology is partnering with UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics to bring you an HERB and VEGETABLE Sale during THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL! 🦋🌿🌸 🗓️ SALE DATES: Friday April 4th & Saturday April 5th 🕰️ SALE TIME: Friday & Saturday 8:30AM - 6PM Pre-Orders & details for pre-order pickup (including a Thursday 04.03 evening pickup option) are available at the QR codes & at the following links below… 🌱 HERBS: [tinyurl.com/PBGSAplantsale2025] All herbs are $3.00 and come in 4 inch pots 🍆 VEGGIES: [tinyurl.com/IPBGGplantsale2025] 💵 Cash, Zelle, or Venmo will be accepted for purchases …We will not be able to process credit/debit cards, or wireless-tap payments. Only IPBGG will be accepting written checks as payment for vegetable orders. 📍SALE LOCATION: Outside of PGF Greenhouse FOUR next to UGA CAGT PGF Headhouse 107 Riverbend Road Athens, GA 30605 #uga #plantsale #herbs #vegetablesale #market #plantbiology #spring #gardening #athens

We are very sad to share the news that the Plant Biology Department has lost one its brightest lights and warmest hearts. After a difficult battle with cancer, Shu-Mei Chang, Professor of Plant Biology, passed away in her sleep on March 14, 2025, surrounded by her family.

Shu-Mei was the youngest child in a tight-knit, extended family in Banqiao, Taiwan. She fondly remembered growing up playing with her siblings and cousins, exploring the Lin Family gardens, visiting with college friends, and getting sweet-bean buns from local street vendors. After receiving a master’s degree in Zoology from Taiwan National University, Shu-Mei moved to the U.S. where she earned a spot in the graduate program at Duke University. While at Duke she completed a Ph.D. studying plant reproductive ecology, made many close friends, and met her future husband. Shu-Mei started working at the University of Georgia in 2001 where she was an inspirational research mentor guiding ten graduate students as they earned their own degrees, as well as serving on the advising committees of dozens more. Shu-Mei was the Graduate Coordinator for the Plant Biology Department for six years and was highly regarded for her help in skillfully guiding the program through the pandemic. Shu-Mei taught a popular course examining the role of flowers in plant reproduction and helped hundreds of students develop a better appreciation for these beloved but often misunderstood structures. She was an exceptional colleague and her bright spirit and her friendship will be deeply missed.

Shu-Mei will be most fondly remembered as a loving wife and mother, a cherished friend, and a respected colleague. She was known for her cheerful personality, her quick wit, and for how much she cared for the well-being of her students. Shu-Mei was an avid badminton player and loved getting together with friends to play each week and with whom she won multiple statewide tournaments. She also sang Chinese Opera and loved to grow different kinds of plants, especially orchids, filling her family’s house with their blossoms throughout the year.

Shu-Mei is survived by her husband and two children, her mother, brother, sister, several nieces, nephews and cousins in Taiwan, and her cats Jinx and Merlin. Our thoughts are with her family.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity or consider one of the following:

• UGA Plant Biology Department Graduate Student Award Endowment at https://www.plantbio.uga.edu/support-us

• UGA International Student Emergency Fund at https://gail.uga.edu/commit?id=4dbfffe0-cd58-4be1-97f0-81f3053b7227

A ceremony for friends to remember Shu-Mei will be held at a future date.

Check out this Prunus branch outside the Carlton Deck on South Campus! Did you know that the flowering genus Prunus of the Rosaceae (Rose) family contains taxa such as ALMONDS? Many stone fruits are Prunus - including plums, peaches🍑, cherries🍒, nectarines and apricots. Given these are all closely related plants of the same genus Prunus, they all have similar blooms resembling the widely recognizable, classic “Cherry Blossom” flowers 🌸 In Japan, the cherry blossoms are known as Sakura, and are celebrated for their cultural symbolisms of hope, renewal, and the transience of life 🌸 Worldwide, these Prunus blooms are recognized as symbols of emerging Spring 🌸 Where else on UGA’s campus have you seem Prunus blossoms?

We wish you’ve all had a restoring, safe & fun Spring Break away from UGA. Soak up some sun while you still can, just like this happy ornamental Hyacinthus! 🪻We look forward to seeing your faces back on campus come Monday!

Happy Saturday! Need plans? Celebrate Black History and Botany with iNaturalist! 🌱