NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS

Kerrville Chapter

Website: http://www.npsot.org/Kerrville  

MARCH  NEWSLETTER – 2004

NATIVES ON THE GROW
Dedicated to the understanding, preservation and enjoyment of the native flora of the Hill Country

March Program: 

The Less-Touted Environmental Advantages 
of Growing Native Plants

Rufus Stephens, a Wildlife Biologist with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, will give a presentation entitled “The Less-Touted Environmental Advantages of Growing Native Plants” at our meeting on Tuesday, March 2^nd  beginning at 2 PM.  Beyond beauty, native plant communities play a vital ecological role in both urban and rural areas providing multiple benefits to the land, the wildlife, and the people.  This presentation will include real-life and possible applications of this ecological insight and a discussion of different classes of plants and their role in the ecological processes.  

As a Wildlife Biologist, Stephens has experience working in both urban and rural counties. He specializes in wildlife habitat management to benefit both the land and animals.  Stephens has a B.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from Texas A&M.

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.  If you have any questions about the Native Plant Society of Texas, or this program, please call June Hartley at 896-5191.  

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBER!

Joy Poe

Calendar

Tuesday March 2 at   “The Less-Touted Environmental Advantages of Growing Native Plants” by Rufus Stephens of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department at NPSOT – Kerrville Chapter meeting at Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos St., Kerrville.  (see article above)

Tuesday March 2 at   “The Ecology of Plant Use “ by Pat McNeal, plant propagator, wholesale nursery owner and land restoration specialist at NPSOT – Boerne at the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne.  See their website for driving directions at www.npsot.org/boerne 

Wednesday, March 3rd at 9 a.m.  “Celebrate Spring in the Library Garden” gardening at our native plant display garden behind the Kerrville Public Library at 505 Water St.  See what is coming up.  Learn to recognize native plants at various stages of growth (See article below).  

Tuesday, March 30th at   7 p.m.  “Native Shade Trees” by David Will, wholesale nurseryman at NPSOT - Fredericksburg Chapter. at the

Tuesday April 6 at   “Native Plant Seeds: The Fruit of the Matter” by our member Barbara Lowenthal at NPSOT – Kerrville Chapter meeting at Riverside

KERRVILLE WEED ORDINANCE

After reading an article in the State Native Plant newsletter on the potential for conflicts between wildflower plantings and some City Weed Ordinances, our Chapter Board of Directors reviewed the “Sanitary Maintenance of Property” Ordinance for the City of Kerrville.  This regulation describes “objectionable, unsightly, or unsanitary matter” as including “weeds...and brush.”  “Weeds” are defined as “All uncultivated vegetable growth or plant matter other than brush which has grown to more than 12” in height”, or “regardless of height” ... plant matter that is “unsightly” on the property.  

The Ordinance then offers three potential defenses to having taller vegetation declared as a prohibited nuisance that might be applicable to wildflower meadows or native grasses.  

            1.  “Regularly cultivated ornamental , fruit-bearing, vegetable-bearing or flowering plants, bushes or trees;”

            2. “Heavily wooded property or property with steep slopes on which mowing equipment cannot  reasonably be used;

            3.  “Property which the City Health Official determines should be exempted because of the lack of harm to the public health, safety and welfare.”

The State NPSOT article had identified these defenses as being useful in demonstrating, when necessary, the acceptability of wildflower meadows or native grass areas.  The article recommended identifying the native plants on a site and making formal lists of the common and botanical names to submit to authorities as evidence that the area contained desirable native plants, not nuisance weeds.  It has been noted that thistles in particular can cause complaints from neighbors who recognize them as “weeds” which could spread to their property, which might cause a neighbor to complain to the City.

The Board believes that the Kerrville Weed Ordinance offers suitable exemptions for most wildflower plantings.  If one of our members were to be challenged under the Weed Ordinace, we would be interested in helping the member prepare a suitable defense.  We would consider assisting other residents if the Board felt that the planting was indeed a maintained wildflower planting.  This position is based on our mission to promote native plant use to preserve them for future generations to enjoy.

Big Red Sage:  A Special Hill Country Endemic Plant 

		Photos by Priscilla Stanley

      BIG RED SAGE   (Salvia penstemonoides) has burgundy-red blooms.

Big Red Sage is a perennial endemic to only a few counties in the Texas Hill Country (“Endemic” means that a plant grows in the wild only in a restricted range).  Salvia penstemonoides is still considered rare -- in nature.  Sally Wasowski in Native Texas Plants (updated) lists its range as "8 stream banks and limestone seeps on the Edward's Plateau (Texas Hill Country)".  In A Book of Salvias, Betsy Clebsch suggests it occurs in only three locations in Texas.  She goes on to say that it was thought extinct in 1946 but a large colony was rediscovered in 1987.  Apparently it's still endangered because of habitat loss and browsing by deer.  Fortunately enough people have fallen in love with the plant and it's now grown in many gardens.

The Center for Plant Conservation indicates that the San Antonio Botanical Garden maintains collections of Big Red Sage in their greenhouses and on the grounds, so that these plants could be used to attempt to re-establish the species should it ever become extinct in the wild.  The Center for Plant Conservation reports the recent rediscovery of 300 individual plants in 5 sites; including 3 protected sites in Lost Maples State Park and 10 historical sites.  In the wild, Big Red Sage is found growing along stream banks amongst the limestone outcroppings.  Big red sage needs to grow in seeps with good drainage.  Because of the lowering of the water table, due to drought and development, this plant struggles to survive in the wild. Herbicides, erosion, grazing and collecting in the Texas Hill Country pose additional threats to its survival.

Big Red Sage is well described by its botanical name, Salvia penstemonoides, which means “a salvia that resembles a penstemon”, since its tubular flowers are held perpendicular to the stem.  Big Red Sage grows well in cultivation in either full or part-sun.  The flower spikes are two to five feet in height, with blooms from June through September.  The profuse burgundy-red tubular flowers are highly favored by hummingbirds.  This plant is available at local native plant nurseries (see our sponsors at the end of this newsletter).  Indeed, nursery propagation has been critically important to establishing additional populations of this plant in many landscapes.  Big Red Sage makes abundant seed, which readily produces additional plants, if desired.  The shiny, dark-green foliage is attractive even when the plant is not in bloom.  Big Red Sage will also be available at our joint NPSOT- Riverside Nature Center “Mostly Native Plant Sale” at our Earth Day Celebration on April 23 – 24^th.  

Please consider growing this lovely plant in your garden to be amongst the folks increasing its population, and thus its continued existence.  You not only get abundant flowers over a long season and flocks of hummingbirds, but a wonderful success story to tell your guests about how this plant is returning from the brink of extinction, thanks to native plant nurseries and native plant gardeners like us.                                                                                                       References:  Howard Wilson, Dallas Garden Report; www.nativesoftexas.com; Center for Plant Conservation

ENHANCED CHAPTER WEBSITE

If you haven’t been on our Website lately, it’s definitely worth a visit at http://www.npsot.org/Kerrville .  Our talented Webmaster, member Raúl Peña, has updated the site adding more content and links.  Many thanks go to Raul for the long hours he puts in as our Webmaster.  This month, we will highlight the “Hill Country Flora” link at the top of our homepage.  You can access the “Wildflower Checklist” which is a list of native plants found growing wild on Raúl and Sandy Peña’s rural property.  Both common and botanical names are provided, along with information about the plant, and in many cases, a color photo to help you learn to recognize the plant.

The brochure produced by our Chapter several years ago entitled “Native Plants for Landscaping in the Hill Country” is also conveniently available in the Hill Country Flora section.  These plants are all available at native plant nurseries, and tend to have a tidy growth habit that many folks expect in landscape plantings.

If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, or even a specific butterfly, the Butterfly Larval Plant database prepared by member Barbara Lowenthal is a “must–read”.  Barbara collected and organized data from several sources on the native plants utilized by various species of butterfly larva, and the favored nectar plants as well.  

Library Native Plant Display Gardens  

Come join us on Wednesday, March 3rd at 9 AM as we continue to prepare the Kerrville Public Library Native Plant Gardens for the upcoming growing season.  

We appreciate the folks who came to work on February 4^th, and we appreciate the rain as well.  It was just unfortunate that these events coincided.  If, in the future, you are concerned about whether the gardening activity will be held as scheduled due to suboptimal weather, you can call our Library Garden Leader, John Quinby, at 367-4612 before 8:30 AM.  

We also want to thank the seven hardworking folks who participated in the re-scheduled workday on February 18^th:    Julia Campbell, Gwynn Jackson, Carolyn Pepping, Andy Pesez, John Quinby, Priscilla Stanley, and Ernest Tremayne.  Many hands made light work, so the seasonal cutting and pruning was completed in one hour.  

Chapter Meeting DOOR PRIZES

Every member or visitor who signs in at the Welcoming table receives a free ticket for the door prize drawings.  At our February meeting, we gave away three 1 gallon native plants from our sponsor, Natives of Texas in Kerrville.  The plants were 4-nerve daisy, scarlet penstemon and coral berry.  

REFRESHMENTS!

Thanks go to Carol Biggs and Maryallen Meriwether for the delicious refreshments at our February meeting.  

Please send any suggestions or comments on this newsletter to the Editor:  Priscilla Stanley at jpbstan@ktc.com