Spring 2020 landscaping class schedule posted

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Update: For safety and health reasons most of our spring NLCP classes have been canceled. A few classes are still scheduled at this time but circumstances may change.

The Native Plant Society of Texas will offer 15 landscaping classes this spring at 10 different locations around the state. The one-day classes are part of the Native Landscaping Certification Program, a series which teaches best practices for native plant landscaping – including wildlife habitat gardening.

Click through to the class list to find a class and register. Additional classes could be announced later in the spring.

Classes are intended to be useful both to homeowners and professionals. Classes include both classroom instruction and fieldwork, with an emphasis on helping students become familiar with the identification and use of specific plants native to their region. Students will see native plants in their natural habitat, illustrating their use in the landscape.

CEUs are now offered by International Society of Arboriculture and Texas Nursery and Landscape Association. Texas Master Naturalists and Texas Master Gardeners count classes as training hours.

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

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 fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason