Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language

Search
npsot_bluebonnet_full_color

Native Plant Society of Texas

New Braunfels Chapter

Past Presentations

Wanted Mountain Cedars, Dead and Alive

April 30, 2025 No Comments

For more than 100 years, we’ve fought the woody brush spreading across the limestone regions of Texas called karst country. Much of this woody cover consists of native juniper trees, commonly called mountain cedars. Instead of causing harm, we now know mountain cedars act as ecosystem engineers to improve and sustain Texas karst country function.

Read More »

An Ecologic overview of growing native plants & using sound environmental practices

November 18, 2024 No Comments

The basics on the connection between growing natives, practicing sound environmental principles and how this affects ecosystem health.
Craig Hensley is a lifelong naturalist, biologist and educator, having shared his passion for the natural world with audiences from Minnesota to Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and for the past 13+ years, in Texas. He served as the Interpreter and Resources Specialist for Guadalupe River State Park and Honey Creek State Natural Area, as a Wildlife Biologist for Comal and Kendall Counties, and for the past 4+ years as one of two Texas Nature Trackers Biologists with the Community Stewardship and Engagement Program. Craig lives with his wife Terry Lashley in Boerne where he has grown more than 70 species of native plants in his small greenhouse, converting their yard to a nature sanctuary.

Read More »

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 four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason