Next Plant Hunt? Pineland Scurfpea

By CARLEE STEPPE

The latest rare plant search in Georgia is aimed at rediscovering one of the state's rarest wildflowers - pineland scurfpea (Orbexilum virgatum).

Last documented in the 1930s in the sandhills of southeast Georgia, this slender knee-high plant features purple, pea-like blooms and narrow, hairy leaves.

Its preferred home? Sun-soaked longleaf pine-wiregrass habitats, especially those that sport sand ridges and have been treated recently with prescribed fire.

Pineland scurfpea is a species of high conservation concern in Georgia's 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan. But there's a catch: We don't know if it still exists in the wild here. This is where you come in.

• Best time to search: May through June, during peak flowering.
• Where to look: open pine flatwoods and savannas in southeast Georgia sandhills.
• What to look for: hairy stems, tiny purple flowers and leaves dotted with dark glands.
• Tip: Focus on recently burned areas - these habitats offer the best conditions for the plant.

If you think you've seen pineland scurfpea (also called slender leather-root and, in Florida, pineland leatherroot) or would like help planning a search, email carlee.steppe@dnr.ga.gov. You can also send GPS locations and clear images to gabiodata@dnr.ga.gov or upload observations to iNaturalist.

Carlee Steppe is a botanist with DNR's Wildlife Conservation Section.

Top: Pineland scurfpea (Orbexilum virgatum) hasn't been documented in Georgia for decades. (Emily Bell/Florida Wildflower Foundation)