The “Native Grown” column is published in the Boerne Star newspaper. This column was originated by Bill Ward as a community outreach to educate the public about the virtues of landscaping with native plants and of protecting native-plant habitats. Bill started this column in April 2002 and published numerous articles until he passed away in January 2011. Other members of the Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas have volunteered to continue this column as a valued reference for people in Boerne and the surrounding Texas Hill Country.
Following A Midsummer Rabbit Trail
By Delmar Cain Following rabbit trails may result in unexpected and pleasant surprises or you may lose your jacket in Mr. McGregor’s garden. Here is a trail I hopped down.
A Yard For the Wet And Dry Years
By Delmar Cain As I get older I have found myself making up very good reasons for not doing the things that I no longer want to do. My reasons
Planning For Drought In The Future
By Delmar Cain With our serious drought now extending into the tenth month in the Hill Country, I am beginning to wonder what would constitute a normal weather year in
A Native Not For Swingers
By Delmar Cain I was probably about twelve when I finally realized that I was not going to find a vine that was not attached to the ground so that
Hope In A New Revolution
By Delmar Cain It may come as a shock to some of my birder friends, but I hunted quail in my younger days. Around Gladewater quail were present but not
Preservation: Challenge Or A Piece Of Cake
By Delmar Cain May is preservation month in Boerne. There will be no better time to ponder the unique and beautiful place in which we live and the challenges in
Passing On The Hill Country at Stanbio Laboratory
By Delmar Cain It would be a rare individual who does not have some appreciation for this area of Texas that we call the Hill Country. I am sure that
At Home in the Hill Country – Escarpment Black Cherry
By Delmar Cain If you are considering another tree for your place, how about an attractive, relatively fast growing upright native that prefers a well-drained limestone site, has beautiful fragrant
A Tale of Two Plants
By Delmar Cain It would be right of you to ask why I, the current president of the Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, have an oleander
What’s In A Name — The Texas Fall Elm
By Delmar Cain Bill Ward introduced seven trees that are being promoted in 2011 by the Boerne chapter of NPSOT in Operation NICE (Natives Instead of Common Exotics). The cedar
Got Milkweed? Monarchs Need It To Survive
By Kip Kiphart In 2010, the monarch was added to the World Wildlife Fund’s Ten Most Threatened Species List, due to loss of habitat necessary for survival of the monarch
Chinquapin Oak – a NICE! good looking shade tree
By Carolyn Walden Last month Bill Ward wrote about tree diversity as a hedge against the spread of “oak wilt” that mostly attacks live and red oaks. He introduced the
Tribute to a Wonderful Life
By Bill Lindemann This article is dedicated to the memory of a long time friend, mentor and fellow naturalist. In 1965 I worked for what was then Humble Oil and
Native Grown But Widely Loved
By Delmar Cain By the time this article is printed most of you will know that we no longer have the physical presence of our mentor, teacher and friend, Bill
Desired future conditions apply to more that just the aquifer
By Delmar Cain In July representatives of the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District met with representatives from other groundwater districts from surrounding counties as part of the Groundwater Management Area
Gardeners and butterfly watchers think blue mistflower is NICЕ!
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on September 3, 2010 These days a lot of gardeners and landscapers make a point to include plants that attract butterflies. One
Early fall is ‘springtime’ in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on October 9, 2009 September is our favorite time to go to Big Bend National Park, because the crowds are gone and
People Names in Native-Plant Names, Part VIII – the Female Factor
Lindheimer, Engelmann, Berlandier, Drummond, Roemer – all familiar surnames of early botanists, who are honored in the names of our native plants. All are male. Were there any women botanists
American Smoke Tree, very NICE! fall color and more
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on September 26, 2008 The October Plant of the Month for Operation NICE! (Natives Instead of the Common Exotics!) is a local
Snowball, Driven Up the Wall by Herbivores
There is an interesting story about the rare Texas snowbell (Styrax platanifolius subsp. texanus) in “Water from Stone” by Jeffrey Greene. That is the book about David and Margaret Bamberger
People Names in Native Plant Names, Part VII
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on August 15, 2008 Ten or 12 years ago when I was becoming more aware of native plants, I heard that our
People Names in Plant Names, Part VI ─ the Geologists Connection
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on July 25, 2008 The man who is known as the Father of Texas Geology was among the first to make extensive
People Names in Native-Plant Names, Part V
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on June 13, 2008 Someone reminded me the other day that I have neglected the series of articles about the botanists whose
Indian grass and other bunchgrasses make NICE! landscape plants
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on May 30, 2008 Is it my imagination or do I hear more people talking about using native grasses in their yards
Creek plum – NICE! bright-white harbinger of spring
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on March 28, 2008 About this time of year or usually a little earlier, certain fence rows and creek banks in this
Under assault – the habitat most important to our water system
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on March 14, 2008 What is the most precious natural resource in the Texas Hill Country? For most people the answer to
Eve’s necklace, mountain laurel’s first cousin, is NICE! Too
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on February 28, 2008 Operation NICE! (Natives Instead of Common Exotics!) began in April 2002 with the popular mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora).
One-of-a-kind publication – a book on rare plants of Texas
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on February 15, 2008 “Texas” could be another word for “diversity.” If anything characterizes the state, it is diversity. The Texas climate
Blanco Crabapple – a NICE Kendall County beauty
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on February 1, 2008 One thing I regret is that I’ve never seen a Blanco crabapple (Malus ioensis var. texensis) blooming in
Native evergreens get me through the winter
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on January 18, 2008 Mid-winter is the only time of year I do not enjoy being out of doors. Cold north winds
Yahoo! Check Out That Blooming Wahoo by Delmar Cain, April 29, 2016
A Short Winter and A Long Spring Mostly by Bill Ward With Some Additions by Delmar Cain, March 25, 2016
Filling Spaces with Spiny Hackberry and a Poor man’s Rope by Delmar Cain, February 12, 2016
Oasis for Wildlife or High Maintenance Still Life by Delmar Cain, May 1, 2015
Webworms are Coming…Learn to Combat Them by Mark Peterson, April 27, 2015
Got Drought? Grow Native, Part 3 by Carolyn Walden, April 2, 2015
Got Drought? Grow Native, Part 2 by Carolyn Walden, March 19, 2015
Got Drought? Grow Native, Part 1 by Carolyn Walden, March 13, 2015
NPSOT Plan Youth Photo Competition by Rheda Boardman, February 27, 2015
Two Thousand Years and Few Degrees of Connection by Delmar Cain, February 6, 2015
Ashe Juniper is Really More Good Than Bad by Jane McAuliffe and Mary Dunn, January 25, 2015
Mistletoe and Ball Moss – Pleasure or Peril by Delmar Cain, January 16, 2015
Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) – Native Holly of Texas by Don Fraser, December 12, 2014
Primal Matter for Your Garden by Christine Westerman, November 13, 2014
Twoleaf Senna – A Hardscrabble Star by Les Barnes, October 17, 2014
Are Native Plant Gardeners Lazy? Hmmm? by Christine Westerman, August 22, 2014
Climate Change…Learning Experiences by Becky Eterno, July 18, 2014
Connections to the Past by Delmar Cain, June 20, 2014
Frogfruit–A NICE! Plant With A Tangle Of Common Names by Delmar Cain, June 6, 2014
A Limestone Canyon, A Memorable Trip and a NICE! Plant by Delmar Cain, May 9, 2014
Texas Honeysuckle – Not a Wanderer by Delmar Cain, April 25, 2014
A NICE! Plant that Attracts Butterflies and Could Bring Rain by Delmar Cain, April 11, 2014
Cluttering the Beauty of the Native Grown by Delmar Cain, March 28, 2014
One Eye Forward and One Eye Back by Delmar Cain, March 14, 2014
Double up with NICE! Understory Plants by Delmar Cain, February 28, 2014
Two Law Officers, but I Got the Chicken-Thief by Delmar Cain, February 14, 2014
Native in Texas, and from Coast to Coast by Delmar Cain, January 31, 2014
For Winter Inspiration, Just Follow the Snout by Delmar Cain, January 20, 2014
Plant a NICE! Treasure for January by Delmar Cain, January 3, 2014
For Christmas in the Hill Country by Bill Ward and a few lines by Delmar Cain, December 20, 2013
Way Stations for Hungry Travelers by Delmar Cain, December 6, 2013
Surprising Hill Country Beauties by Delmar Cain, November 22, 2013
Plan Long Term – Plant a NICE! Tree by Delmar Cain, November 8, 2013
Paying Attention to the Small Faces in the Crowd by Delmar Cain, October 25, 2013
A Faithful Reader and a NICE! Goldeneye by Delmar Cain, October 7, 2013
Opportunities And Surprises For The Season by Delmar Cain, September 27, 2013
A New NICE Plant and Hardy Early Fall Bloomers by Delmar Cain, September 13, 2013
Two Sennas–Cool Plants For the End of Summer by Delmar Cain, August 30, 2013
Name That Borer Moth by Delmar Cain, August 16, 2013
Want A Vine That Will Climb—Try A Clematis by Delmar Cain, August 2, 2013
One Real Honest to Goodness Weed by Delmar Cain, July 19, 2013
Buckley’s Yucca—A NICE Ball With Points by Delmar Cain, July 5, 2013
Buck Moths, Green Dragons and the Fiery Searcher by Delmar Cain, June 14, 2013
Not In Control—Save Some Seeds by Delmar Cain, May 31, 2013
In The Battle Against Invasives-Save Some Seeds by Delmar Cain, May 17, 2013
Prairie Verbena—A NICE Ten-Month Performer by Delmar Cain, May 5, 2013
In Love and Stranded in the Hill Country—Wild (Eastern) Red Columbine by Emily Weiner and Delmar Cain, April 19, 2013
Yellow Spring Flowers And A Memorial Butterfly Garden by Delmar Cain, April 5, 2013
Pink Mimosa—NICE, But Not Near A Walkway by Delmar Cain, March 22, 2013
The Early Show May Be The Best by Delmar Cain, March 8, 2013
Something Pleasant—Bush Palmetto by Delmar Cain, February 22, 2013
Rough-Leaf Dogwood—A NICE Tree For A Wet Spot by Delmar Cain, February 8, 2013
Rosettes of Renewal by Delmar Cain, January 25, 2013
Pecan—A NICE Old Favorite by Delmar Cain, January 11, 2013
Ashe Juniper—Wanted Dead or Wanted Alive by Delmar Cain, December 28, 2012
Cenizo–A Western Plant For Dry Conditions by Delmar Cain, December 14, 2012
Pondering The Future by Delmar Cain, November 30, 2012
Attractive Grasses For Fall Color by Delmar Cain, November 16, 2012
Zexmenia—A Hardy and Versatile Performer by Delmar Cain, November 2, 2012
Celebrate Texas Native Plant Week With A Field Trip by Delmar Cain, October 19, 2012
Retama—A NICE Sun Lover by Delmar Cain, October 5, 2012
In The Hill Country Or Blackland Prairie—It’s Still Prairie Tea by Delmar Cain, September 21, 2012
Flame Acanthus—A NICE Plant for A Hot Summer and Fall by Delmar Cain, September 7, 2012
Prairie Coneflower… Deer Proof… Maybe by Delmar Cain, August 24, 2012
A Tree By Every Other Name Is Still The Same by Delmar Cain, August 10, 2012
A Look At Some Of The Supporting Cast by Delmar Cain, July 27, 2012
Native Plants Work On A Public Site by Delmar Cain, July 13, 2012
The seed ball, demystified by Emily Weiner, June 29, 2012
A Steady Bloomer for A Dry Spot by Delmar Cain, June 15, 2012
Letting Nature Do The Work by Delmar Cain, June 1, 2012
No Mercy for the Musk Thistle Either by Delmar Cain, May 18, 2012
Desert Willow—A Cool Plant For A Hot Spot by Delmar Cain, May 4, 2012
Malta Starthistle—A Really Bad Actor by Delmar Cain, April 20, 2012
Mexican Buckeye—A Good Suggestion For the Plant Sale by Delmar Cain, April 6, 2012
Our friends are back, but for how long by Delmar Cain, March 23, 2012
Ten Years of NICE! by Delmar Cain, March 9, 2012
Letting Nature Make The Call by Delmar Cain, February 23, 2012
Damianita—Cold Hardy and Drought Tolerant by Delmar Cain, February 9, 2012
Rewarded By Waiting by Delmar Cain, January 27, 2012
Teaching and Planting for the Future by Delmar Cain, December 30, 2011
A Tough Plant For The New Year by Delmar Cain, December 16, 2011
Rethinking Riparian Management by Delmar Cain, December 2, 2011
Drought Tough Plant by Delmar Cain, November 18, 2011
The Wonders of Rain And Another NICE Tree by Delmar Cain, November 4, 2011
Setting A Good Example by Delmar Cain, October 21, 2011
Lacey Oak Revisited by Delmar Cain, October 7, 2011
Why Native Plants For Your Yard? by Delmar Cain, September 23, 2011
Include Thoroughwort In Your Gardening Plans by Delmar Cain, September 9, 2011
Prickly Pear Cactus, The State Plant—Trouble on the Horizon by Delmar Cain, August 26, 2011
Prickly Pear Cactus—A Good Choice for The State Plant by Delmar Cain, August 12, 2011
Following A Midsummer Rabbit Trail by Delmar Cain, July 29, 2011
A Yard For the Wet And Dry Years by Delmar Cain, July 15, 2011
Planning For Drought In The Future by Delmar Cain, July 1, 2011
A Native Not For Swingers by Delmar Cain, June 17, 2011
Hope In A New Revolution by Delmar Cain, June 3, 2011
Preservation: Challenge Or A Piece Of Cake by Delmar Cain, May 20, 2011
Passing On The Hill Country at Stanbio Laboratory by Delmar Cain, May 6, 2011
At Home in the Hill Country – Escarpment Black Cherry by Delmar Cain, April 8, 2011
A Tale of Two Plants by Delmar Cain, March 25, 2011
What’s In A Name — The Texas Fall Elm by Delmar Cain, March 11, 2011
Got Milkweed? Monarchs Need It To Survive by Kip Kiphart, February 25, 2011
Chinquapin Oak – a NICE! good looking shade tree by Carolyn Walden, February 12, 2011
Tribute to a Wonderful Life by Bill Lindemann, January 28, 2011
Native Grown But Widely Loved by Delmar Cain, January 14, 2011
Desired future conditions apply to more that just the aquifer by Delmar Cain, September 20, 2010
