Georgia CommonsSenate · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 240: Georgia Native Plant Month; designate April of each year
Last action March 16, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
Senate Bill 240 would designate April as Georgia Native Plant Month and replace the Cherokee rose with the sweetbay magnolia as Georgia's official state flower.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Engrossed version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law currently names the Cherokee rose as the state's official floral emblem and has no designated month recognizing native plants. This bill, called the 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act,' makes two changes to Georgia law. First, it adds a new section to the state's holidays and observances law declaring April of each year as 'Georgia Native Plant Month.' Second, it rewrites the state symbols law so that the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) replaces the Cherokee rose as Georgia's official state flower. The bill does not create any programs, funding, or enforcement mechanisms; it simply establishes the observance and updates the state symbol in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. It repeals any conflicting laws.
What the bill does
- Adds a new section to Georgia's holidays and observances law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 4 of Title 1) naming April as 'Georgia Native Plant Month' each year.
- Rewrites Georgia's state symbols law (O.C.G.A. § 50-3-53) to remove the Cherokee rose as the official state flower.
- Names the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) as the new official state floral emblem of Georgia.
- Gives the bill the short title 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act.'
- Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.
Who it affects
This bill mainly affects Georgia's official state symbols and calendar of observances, so it touches state government recordkeeping, education materials that reference state symbols, and groups interested in native plants, gardening, and conservation, rather than creating new obligations for individuals or businesses.
Why it matters
If enacted, Georgia's textbooks, tourism materials, and official references would need to reflect a new state flower and a new April observance. The change is symbolic: it does not add funding, regulations, or penalties, but it does formally shift a long-standing state symbol Georgians have learned since childhood.
Key provisions
- Section 1 gives the Act the short title 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act.'
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 1-4-28 designating April as Georgia Native Plant Month.
- Section 3 revises Code Section 50-3-53 to replace the Cherokee rose with the sweetbay magnolia as the state floral emblem.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“The month of April of each year is designated as 'Georgia Native Plant Month' in Georgia.”
“sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is adopted as the floral emblem of the State of Georgia.”
Discussed in meetings (9)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee, February 19, 2026
From 0:20:25 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute to SB 240 proposing to replace the Cherokee rose with sweet bay magnolia as Georgia's state flower. The sponsor said the Cherokee rose originated in China and described sweet bay magnolia as a native Georgia plant. The sponsor also directed members to a letter from the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns. Members clarified that they were considering a substitute, not an amendment. The committee approved the substitute unanimously, with no substantive questions or opposition voiced.
Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026
From 0:21:51 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described the bill as changing Georgia's state flower from the Cherokee rose to the sweetbay magnolia, saying the former came from China and the latter was native to Georgia and attracted butterflies. The chair said letters from both Cherokee groups supported the change. The bill was not selected for the floor calendar.
Senate Rules Committee, February 26, 2026
From 0:12:38 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair described SB 240 as changing the state flower from the Cherokee rose to the sweet bay magnolia. A committee member later selected it for the calendar in recognition of garden club participants. The committee unanimously approved the calendar containing the bill.
Senate floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26)
From 1:43:13 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk explained that SB 240 would designate April as Georgia Native Plant Month, with a committee substitute also replacing the Cherokee rose with the sweetbay magnolia as the state floral emblem. The sponsor said the Cherokee rose came from China, while the sweetbay magnolia was native to Georgia. The sponsor reported receiving letters indicating Cherokee support for the change. Another senator supported the bill after initially questioning it, saying both Georgia-recognized Cherokee tribes had written that they had no objection and no ties to the Cherokee rose. That senator argued that promoting native plants would support agriculture, forestry, landscaping and tourism while reducing invasive-species costs. In response to a question about China, the supporting senator said the purpose was to address invasive species and their effects on the ecosystem. The Senate adopted the substitute and passed the bill 53-0.
House Rules Committee, March 19, 2026
From 0:30:11 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described the bill as changing the state flower from the Cherokee rose, which the sponsor called an invasive species from China, to the native sweetbay magnolia. The sponsor said the change would promote education about native plants, especially as development reduces farmland, and reported receiving more than 100 letters from third graders supporting the change. There were no questions or calendar action.
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:40:57
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM), 0:50:14
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, AM), 1:03:25
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 16, 2026 (legislative day 32), 1:01:02
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Recommitted (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
Show full history (11 actions)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
- Matt Brass (R, SD-6)
- Bill Cowsert (R, SD-46)
- Randy Robertson (R, SD-29)
- Max Burns (R, SD-23)
- Deborah Silcox (R, HD-53)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 3, 2026
53 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 2 excused)
Topics
- state symbols
- native plants
- Georgia history
- conservation awareness