Upon starting your journey into native Texas plants, one of the challenges most of us face is determining the name of a possible native plant and whether it is native to North Texas. Many non-native / exotic plants can easily be mistaken for natives, and there can be confusion over plants native to North America or other regions of Texas, but not North Texas.
Having “go-to” sources to help determine if a plant you are interested in buying or that you see in a local park is a native plant is crucial to building your knowledge base. Below, we have provided a guide for beginners on sources and activities to help identify native North Texas plants.
Books
There are many excellent books available that can offer high-level to detailed information on our local native fauna. Some favorites from our chapter’s membership include:
- Shinners & Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas by George Diggs, Barney Lipscomb, and Robert O’Kennon, is considered by many as the authority on the subject. This comprehensive guide has over 2,200 species and is helpful for beginners to experts. It is available for purchase in print and is free online.
- Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region by Sally and Andy Wasowski is another book considered essential by many Texas native plant enthusiasts. This book focuses on landscaping ideas with native Texas plants in the many regions of Texas and provides suggestions of native plants and how to use them in your garden.
The Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) website has an online bookstore with a wide variety of books suggested by chapters from across the state.
Online Native Plant Databases and Apps:
If you prefer to consume information digitally, there are also many resources you can tap into on Native Texas plants.
- A website that covers North America but is based in Austin is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s online native plant database. The center’s website has the most comprehensive guide to native plants, with a free, searchable database of over 25,000 native plants from across North America. Plus, it has specialized collections focused on native plants of North Central Texas and the Blackland Prairies. For many, it is an indispensable resource for learning about native plants of North Texas.
- Another excellent source is the NPSOT Native Plant Database. Unlike the Wildflower Center, the NPSOT site focuses only on native plants best suited to Texas ecoregions. For those new to native plants, the site’s curated listing is often more helpful than navigating all of North America’s native plants.
- The iNaturalist app is a valuable tool for identifying native plants in the “wild” or volunteer plants in your yard. Using your phone’s camera, take a picture of the plant in question – the app will then provide suggestions on the plant’s name. It also includes more information on the plant, such as native range, so you can determine if it is a native or non-native plant.
There are many more helpful sites available for identifying native plants. The following are two meta-pages with listings of other suggested websites:
Classes, Workshops, and Groups:
For more hands-on learning, there are various opportunities available to learn in a classroom-type setting, either in-person or online. Sources include:
- NPSOT Native Landscape Certification Program – Offers a series of day-long classes that teach best practices for native plant landscaping. Classes are available at locations around the state, plus via Zoom.
- Texas Master Naturalist Program – The Program aims to develop well-informed volunteers who will provide education, outreach, and service for the beneficial management of natural resources within our communities. Some of the program’s tenets include local knowledge, continuous learning, and networking.
- Native Prairies Association of Texas – Our friends at NPAT provide numerous opportunities to learn about Texas’ prairies through a variety of activities.
These classes also provide the benefit of sharing with others and learning from their experiences. Joining groups such as NPSOT, Master Naturalists, NPAT, and other organizations allows you to learn firsthand about our native plants through meetings, activities, and workdays. Lastly, another great way to learn about and aid your identification of native plants is experiencing them first-hand in native gardens, such as the Heard Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, Texas Discovery Gardens in Dallas, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, among many others.
Being able to easily and accurately identify native North Texas plants will enhance your enjoyment of our area’s natural beauty and biodiversity, and your appreciation of our region’s native plants.
