NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS
KERRVILLE CHAPTER

Website:  www.npsot.org/kerrville

 April, 2009

NATIVES ON THE GROW

Dedicated to the understanding, preservation and enjoyment of the native flora of the Hill Country

The Kerrville Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas holds monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month (September through June) at Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos St. in Kerrville.  These meetings are free and open to the public

 April Meeting

NATIVE PLANTS

and Global Warming

A discussion by Garri Dryden, PhD

and member American Society of Landscapes Architects

 Native Plant Society of Texas meeting

April 7, Tuesday at 7:00 PM*

 Riverside Nature Center

150 Francisco Lemos St., Kerrville

 Everyone is invited to attend our programs

 *Note:  This is an evening meeting.

 Garri Dryden, PhD and member, American Society of Landscape Architects is our speaker. Her topic is Native Plants and Global Warming - Dr. Dryden will describe the possible future changes in temperature and precipitation and their potential effects on Hill Country ecosystems. She will discuss the pros and cons of various strategies for mitigating these effects and sustaining native plant populations.

Looking Ahead 

Tues, May 5, 2 pm - Field trip to Butterfly Garden at Kerrville Schreiner Park.  (Public is invited)

President’s Message

Dear Native Plant Lovers,

            Tuesday April 7 will be an evening NPSOT meeting.  Please ask your acquaintances who love native plants and cannot attend a day meeting to come to our 7:00 pm meeting. People have requested evening meetings, and it is important to let them know that NPSOT now has at least three evening meetings a year,

            Please come and ask everyone you know to come to the native plant sale at Riverside Nature Center (RNC) on Saturday, April 18. For the best selection of plants, there will be a presale for RNC and NPSOT members only on Friday April 17 from 5pm to 6:30pm.  Memberships are available at the entrance. We will have a wide variety of native plants that are specially selected for our area by native plant people.

            The nominating committee, Marilyn Butcher, Diane McMahon and Linda Smith, has recommended a terrific slate of officers for next year. They will be elected in May and will take office at the end of June. Many thanks to the committee you did a great job. I also want to thank the people who have accepted the nominations. These are good native plant years.

            I hope to see you all and your friends on at the meeting on Tuesday, April 7 and at the plant sale on April 17 and 18.

 Edna Platte, President

Native Plant Society of Texas, Kerrville Chapter

Library Garden

 The next Library Garden party will be April 14 at 9:00 until 11:00.  We cut back many plants in March and the plants look surprisingly good after a very dry year.  The flowers should be out in April so come and join us to make this area beautiful.

Nominating Committee Report

2009-2010

Proposed Slate

Elections will be held at the May meeting.

Did you notice?

While walking around Plant Haus the other day, I was delighted to see the NICE plant of the month being featured.  Thanks, Plant Haus!

Exciting New Feature:

Thanks to Barbara Lowenthal, we will now have a short article each month related to a featured native plant.

We begin this month with mealy blue sage. This wildflower is often found in pastures and prairies and along roadsides. It dies back in the winter but returns early March. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit it. This hardy plant would work well in a butterfly garden or a rock garden.

Common Name: Mealy Blue Sage

Scientific Name: Salvia farinaceae

 Photographer: Marilyn Knight

Type: Herb, wildflower

Height: to 3 feet

Bloom Period: March-November

Longevity: Perennial

Growth habit: Shrub-like, numerous leafy stems, upright to spreading, sprawling at times

Growing conditions: Drought tolerant, sun.

Leaves: To 3 ½” long, opposite, green

Flowers: numerous, congested in elongated inflorescence, tubular, 2-lipped, blue

Grows from: seeds, seedlings

Deer resistant

Availability: local nurseries that carry native plants

Helpful hints about membership dues

Membership dues cannot be accepted locally.  They must be sent to the State Office, which is now in Fredericksburg at the following address.

Native Plant Society of Texas
P.O. Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

 The membership form is available at chapter meetings and the NPSOT website www.npsot.org.

When completing the form please indicate the Kerrville chapter name because our chapter gets refunded a portion of the dues for our chapter expenses.

If you are renewing your membership, please send your renewal to the address above and include your membership ID to ensure we credit the correct account.
Also include any address, phone or email changes.
(You will find your membership ID printed on the mailing label of the state newsletter.)

 Membership Categories and Annual Dues:

 Benefits of Joining the Native Plant Society of Texas

Goals:

    To educate both its members and the general public and to foster a greater awareness and understanding of our native flora;
 To preserve rare and endangered species and their habitats;
 To encourage landscaping with appropriate native plants, for their beauty, ease of maintenance, and water-conserving qualities;
 To protect, conserve and restore native plants threatened by development;
 To encourage the responsible propagation of native plants;
 To promote an appreciation and understanding of current, historical and potential uses of native plants.

Please support our sponsors!

 DO YOU NEED A NPSOT NAME TAG?

Some new members do not have a nametag. Some members have misplaced their nametag.  Nametags are kept at RNC and brought out for each NPSOT meeting. If you do not have a nametag, please contact the VP-Membership, Mike Mecke mmecke@stx.rr.com or 830-896-0805 so we can make you one.