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Native Plant Society of Texas

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Collin County March Meeting – Bottomland Hardwood Forests of North Texas

Roger Sanderson, photo credit: Maclura pomifera, Texas Blackland Prairies Ecoregion

March 4 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Our March 4 chapter program will be a hybrid meeting, with attendance available at the Heard Museum in McKinney or via Zoom. The topic is the “Bottomland Hardwood Forests of North Texas”, and the presenter is Ben Sandifer.

Our program starts at 6:30 for the testing of connections, with a short chapter update by our president, Rodney Thomas, at 7:00, followed by our presentation. The Zoom link and codes (if necessary) are below:

For in-person attendees, the meeting is in Laughlin Hall at the Heard Museum. Enter through the door on the south side of the building.

Ben will explore North Texas’ extensive bottomland hardwood forests, covering the diverse flora and fauna among the Upper Trinity River watershed in North Texas. He is an author, photographer, and environmental advocate for parks and open spaces where he can often be found with camera in hand. His award-winning nature photographs have been featured in local, state, and national publications. He is a Certified Master Birder through the Audubon Dallas sponsored North Central Texas Master Birder Program. In 2016, he was named an Honorary Lifetime Texas Master Naturalist for his substantial contributions to the furtherance of the activities of the organization. In addition to his professional life as an accountant, Ben serves as the naturalist for the historic Dallas Hunting and Fishing Club.

As a volunteer, Ben currently serves as a member of the City of Dallas Forestry Stakeholder Committee, Trinity Park Conservancy Conservation Committee, citizen project lead at Big Spring Preserve and citizen project lead for the Friends of the Fish Hatchery at White Rock Lake. In Dallas Great Trinity Forest, Ben is an EPA and TCEQ certified Texas Stream Team volunteer who monitors water quality at numerous locations in the Dallas Trinity River watershed.

Heard Museum Website

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