Clear Lake Chapter

Chapter Meeting: Incorporating North American Tall Grasses into Your Yard

Monday, January 13 • 6:15 p.m.
Hybrid Meeting

6:15 Doors Open – UHCL Bayou Building, Garden Room
6:40 Zoom Opens
6:45 Business Meeting
6:55 Plant of the Month
7:00 Guest Speaker

Join us for an evening of delicious pizza, exciting door prizes, seed swap, and the chance to connect with others while learning something new!

In this presentation, Adam Lawrence will explore incorporating native plants—particularly native grasses—into your home landscaping. Learn about the ecological benefits, aesthetic appeal, and practical steps to create a sustainable, nature-friendly garden inspired by the beauty of coastal prairies.

About the Speaker

Adam Lawrence is the Habitat and Stewardship Manager at Artist Boat, where he oversees the Coastal Heritage Preserve, a nearly 1,100-acre expanse of coastal prairie and wetlands on the west side of Galveston Island. An ecologist by trade, Adam holds degrees in ecology and evolutionary biology as well as business from Rice University. He has been engaged in botany research since his teenage years, having done vegetation surveys and monitoring for federal agencies, as a private consultant, and now in the non-profit sector. Adam’s love for prairie ecosystems is reflected in his appreciation for Little Bluestem and Bushy Bluestem, his favorite plants.

Seed Exchange

In addition to our speaker, we will be having a seed exchange. These cold winter days are a great time to review your seeds and package those you have collected in 2023 or 2024. The packet can be any kind of paper envelope and any size. Please label each envelope with the common and botanical names. Check our Native Plant Database if you need help with names. Also, add the location you collected the seeds and the month and year collected.

In-person – Parking Pass Required

Parking passes required. If you have a pass, don’t forget it – you will not get another one if you picked one up previously. If you need a pass, arrive early enough to pick one up in the meeting room and place it in your car. DO NOT park in faculty/staff parking (enforced 24/7).

Bayou Building, Garden Room
University of Houston-Clear Lake
2700 Bay Area Blvd.
Houston, TX 77058

Meetings are open to members and non-members. If you would like to become a member, you may join online. For more information about the Native Plant Society of Texas and the benefits of membership please visit: www.npsot.org.

Hosted by the Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason