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Native Plant Society of Texas

News and Events

News and announcements from our committee chairs, board members, and chapter leaders. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date. For chapter news, visit Chapters. If you are looking for a calendar of events, see our Events Calendar.

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Citizen Science Workshop on Monarch butterflies

**ARCHIVED POST ** NPSOT is hosting a Citizen Science Workshop on Monarch butterflies at the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth on Friday, November 15.     **ARCHIVED POST** **ARCHIVED POST LINKS & PICTURES MAY NOT WORK** **ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: jerin

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January 1, 1970

February Newsletter 2021

**ARCHIVED POST ** FEBRUARY MEETINGS BLACKLAND PRAIRIE – THEN AND NOW BY CAROL CLARK VIRTUAL MEETING, FEBRUARY 22, 7 P.M. For anyone who’s heard one of Carol’s previous presentations, you know what a great speaker she is.  We’re happy to welcome her back to talk about the Blackland Prairie.  Blackland

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January 1, 1970

December 2021

**ARCHIVED POST ** DECEMBER NEWSLETTER HAPPY HOLIDAYS December seems a good time to take a moment and reflect on the past year. This year we began working our way back to ìnormalcyî, although it seems to most of us that itís still a long way off. We held both our

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January 1, 1970

October 2022 Newsletter

**ARCHIVED POST ** OCTOBER NEWSLETTER What a relief our cooler weather has been going into fall.  While some of our days still seem a little too hot, these really cool evenings have been wonderful.  Our plants are certainly much happier with the changing temperature.  The hot summer has decimated some

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January 1, 1970

Spring Native Plant Sale at Riverside Nature Center

**ARCHIVED POST ** Mark your calendars for the Spring Native Plant Sale! Saturday April 16, 9am – 2 pm (or until sold out).  We are back in person at Riverside Nature Center! BYOW – Bring your own wagon (if you’d like).  We will help plenty of volunteers on hand to

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January 1, 1970

April Mtg – 4-18-22 John Watts

**ARCHIVED POST ** Our April meeting will be a virtual and in-person hybrid gathering.  You can join us at the Gaston Christian Center (8515 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243) or over Zoom on Monday, April 18th at 6:30 for social time, 7:00 for quick announcements, then our program, “’Natural Born Botanist

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January 1, 1970

The Dirty Dozen Invasive Plants of North Texas

The term “invasive species” brings forth a variety of connotations and disagreement about its meaning. We will utilize Executive Order 1312 establishing the National Invasive Species Council as our source. An invasive species is: “Non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration Whose introduction causes or is likely to cause

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January 1, 1970

**ARCHIVED POST ** Sophora secundiflora Texas Mountain Laurel **ARCHIVED POST** **ARCHIVED POST LINKS & PICTURES MAY NOT WORK** **ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: jonlienhard

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January 1, 1970
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About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason