Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division
If you’re in northwest Georgia this spring, the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance would welcome any sightings of twinleaf.
What: Jeffersonia diphylla is a spring ephemeral that is most conspicuous when it flowers – on sunny days in late March-early April, with blooms lasting up to two weeks – and fruits (also in April). But twinleaf’s namesake leaves, each with two angel-wing-like leaflets up to 7.5 inches long, make the plant easier to identify.
Where: In our state, twinleaf is found only in Walker and Dade counties. It grows in moist, deciduous hardwood forests where the limestone bedrock is near and sometimes on the surface.
Why: Although abundant in northern and midwestern states, twinleaf is critically imperiled in Georgia. There are only eight known populations here. The draft 2025 State Wildlife Action lists it as a species of greatest conservation need.
How to report: Send GPS locations and clear images to gabiodata@dnr.ga.gov or upload the observation to iNaturalist.
If you didn’t know … Native Americans used twinleaf medicinally to treat ailments such as urinary infections and rheumatism, as well as sores and ulcers. However, the plant is also now considered potentially poisonous. In 1792, noted Philadelphia botanist Benjamin Barton named Jeffersonia diphylla after his botanical contemporary (and later U.S. president) Thomas Jefferson.
Flame flower in bloom (Pierre Howard)
ALSO KEEP WATCH FOR …
Previous plant hunts that are still in effect include flame flower (Macranthera flammea), tawny cottongrass (Eriophorum virginicum) and Porter’s goldenrod (Solidago porteri). Details on the latter two are in the September issue of DNR’s Georgia Wild e-newsletter.
Top: White flowers and leaves with matching wing-link lobes mark twinleaf. (Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)
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