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Native Plant Society of Texas

Trinity Forks Chapter

Links and Websites

These are a few of our favorite organizations and websites with good reference information. To recommend another to add, please use the “Contact Us” link .

Websites – For Plants and Design

Operation NICE (Natives Improve and Conserve Environments) http://www.npsot.org/wp/resources/nice/                                 For the locally featured plant of the season: http://www.npsot.org/TrinityForks/ 

Plant Lists for Various Garden Types: https://www.www.npsot.org/TrinityForks/TrinityForksWeb/plants.html

National Wildlife Federation, Certified Wildlife Habitat Program: https://www.nwf.org/Home/Garden-For-Wildlife.

Texas Wildscapes: A Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/wildscapes/

Grow Green http://www.growgreen.org

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Explore Plants database: http://www.wildflower.org/explore/ 

Texas Invasives, www.texasinvasives.org

Texas Native Trees, Benny Simpson’s: https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/tamuhort.html

Texas SmartScape: http://www.txsmartscape.com/

Texas Tree Planting Guide: http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/index.html

City of Irving Native Plant Guide: http://cityofirving.org/documentcenter/view/948

Web Soil Survey. National Resource Conservation Survey: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/

iNaturalist: www.inaturalist.org 

Organizations

Audubon Society http://www.audubon.org/ 

   Trinity River Audubon Center https://trinityriver.audubon.org/

   Cedar Ridge Preserve  https://audubondallas.org/cedar-ridge-preserve/

Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas http://www.monarchjointventure.org 

Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center http://www.clearcreekdenton.com/  

Connemara  https://connemaraconservancy.org/

Botanic Research Institute of Texas and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden  http://www.fwbg.org 

Fort Worth Nature Center http://www.fwnaturecenter.org/

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center http://www.fossilrim.org 

Heard Natural Science Museum http://www.heardmuseum.org/

Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area https://www.llela.org/

Texas Master Gardener Association http://mastergardener.tamu.edu/ 

   Collin County Master Gardener Association  https://ccmgatx.org/          
   Dallas County Master Gardener Association https://dallascountymastergardeners.org/
   Denton County Master Gardener Association dcmga.com
   Tarrant County Master Gardener Association https://tarrantmg.org/

Master Naturalists http://txmn.org/

MonarchWatch https://monarchwatch.org/

Native Plant Society of Texas http://www.npsot.org/
    Collin County  https://www.npsot.org/wp/collincounty/
    Dallas https://www.npsot.org/chapters/dallas/  
    Prairie Rose (Glen Rose) https://www.facebook.com/PrairieRoseNPSOT/
    North Central (Fort Worth)  https://www.npsot.org/chapters/north-central/
    Trinity Forks (Denton Area)  https://www.npsot.org/chapters/trinity-forks/

NPAT/Native Prairies Association of Texas www.texasprairie.org 

River Legacy Living Science Center http://www.riverlegacy.org/ 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/ 

Texas Discovery Garden  https://txdg.org/

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