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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

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