Many of the species found here are woodland species, some rare, threatened or endangered. Other rare, threatened, and endangered species can be found in the Bog Garden and Threatened and Endangered Plants section of the International Garden . Georgia and the southeastern U.S. were a mecca for European plant hunters in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Tradescant, Clayton, Catesby, Michaux and others botanized throughout the area, sending hundreds of new species back to European gardens. On a later expedition, William Bartram traveled through or near land now comprising the State Botanical Garden.
Fiddle heads unfurl to reveal mature fern leaves called fronds.