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Native Plant Society of Texas

Dallas Chapter

President’s Message:

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Fall is my favorite season. I can’t wait for the cool air, creative decorations, the smell of pumpkin bread and planting in my gardens.

If you didn’t know, Fall is the perfect time to plant. After this last summer and the past two years I am excited to celebrate new growth, new plants and new opportunities.

With that in mind, I want to introduce myself to you. My name is Lois Diggs, the incoming President of the Dallas Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and even though I have lived in Texas for 42 years, I am still learning about the best practices and native plants to use in our landscape. I became a Master Gardener in 2012, have served on the Board of our NPSOT chapter for 3 years, and became a Master Naturalist in 2020. All that says is, I volunteer a lot and am still wanting to learn.

I hope you will come to our NPSOT monthly chapter meeting on Monday, October 17th at GCC, 8515 Greenville Ave 75243. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall, 6:30 social time, meeting at 7 pm.

This will be our last meeting of 2022, and to celebrate Fall and Texas Native Plant week (10/16-10/22) we will be giving away a native plant to everyone attending the meeting. If you also have plants you would like to add to our give away, please bring them to the Meeting.

If you can’t make the meeting in person, you are invited to login on Zoom.

Please look for our October newsletter for more details.

For those of us who collect seeds, the Dallas County Master Gardener at Coppell ISD’s School Garden program has requested seeds for their new pollinator garden program. What a wonderful opportunity to share and education these students. Please bring your seeds to the meeting in an envelope, clearly marked with common and botanical names, the year collected and any other info you feel the students might benefit from.

You are invited to sign up for the newsletter here.  And visit us on Facebook.

I look forward to seeing you at our meeting on Monday, October 17th. Join us to meet the new Leadership of the chapter, receive a native plant, and give your voice to our future educational presentations, field trips, projects and more. Each of us can help in small and big ways to education the public, further our knowledge base and support Native Planting in Dallas and surrounding area.

Lois Diggs

NPSOT, Dallas Chapter, President

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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