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Native Plant Society of Texas

Nominations open for annual awards

NPSOT Archive

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Know of someone who deserves recognition for work on native plants and their environments? Nominate them for one of our annual awards.

Shirley Lusk is presented wit h the Charles Weddle Award at the 2012 Awards Banquet in Kerrville.
Shirley Lusk is presented wit h the Charles Weddle Award at the 2012 Awards Banquet in Kerrville.

Every fall the Native Plant Society presents awards to acknowledge the achievements of individuals whose work enriches our understanding of native plants and their environments. The awards recognize excellence in writing, acts of conservation and public service, as well as lifetime achievement in the field of Texas native plants.

Awardees are selected by an Awards Committee appointed by the State Board. This year’s committee chair is Cynthia Maguire. Awards will be presented during the Fall Symposium in Corpus Christi on Saturday, October 19.

More information about the awards is available here. The following is a summary list.

  • The Carroll Abbott Memorial Award is given for writings in the popular vein on Texas native plants.
  • The Donovan Stewart Correll Memorial Award is presented for scientific writing in the field of the native flora of Texas.
  • The Nancy Benedict Memorial Award honors an individual, a group or an organization for a specific act of conservation or public service in the field of Texas native plants.  This is neither a “joiner” nor a “lifetime of service” award.
  • The Charles Leonard Weddle Memorial Award is awarded for lifetime achievement in the field of Texas native plants.
  • The Lynn Lowrey Memorial Award is given for horticultural achievement in the field of Texas native plants.

Please submit your nominations by June 10. Send them to Cynthia Maguire at GrowNative11@gmail.com or to our state office at state@npsot.org.

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins

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