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Native Plant Society of Texas

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San Antonio Chapter Meeting – Bringing the Natural World Home Using Native Plants: A Personal Journey

Bringing the Natural World Home Using Native Plants: A Personal Journey

February 25 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Arrive at 6:30pm to share or find native plants at the Plants x Donation table.

This will be a “hybrid” meeting, attend in-person or online.

  • In person: The Gathering Center at the Urban Ecology Center at Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 NW Military Hwy
  • Online: Please register in advance to attend via Zoom.

Presentation by Craig Hensley – Naturalist and Educator
Bringing the Natural World Home Using Native Plants: A Personal Journey

The use of native plants in landscaping our yards, parks and elsewhere continues to grow in popularity. The challenge for many comes in how to start, where to get plants, and how to best care for them. Naturalist and educator Craig Hensley will share his journey into the world of native plants, from growing them to enjoying the flush of pollinators and other critters that were invited back, as a result. He’ll share his observations of what species seem preferred by his “new neighbors,” as well as what you might expect by venturing into this life and community-altering adventure.

Craig Hensley is a lifelong learner, naturalist and educator, having spent more than 40 years engaging audiences from Minnesota to Texas about the wonders of the natural world from birds and butterflies to the night sky, native plants, and everything in-between. He has developed a knack for growing a wide variety of native plants and through those planted in his and wife Terry Lashley’s yard has invited a ever-increasing diversity of fauna, from bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, moths and beetles to those critters that eat them, and those that eat those. Craig has a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and a M.S. in Zoology, and has worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for more than a decade, as an interpreter and resource specialist at Guadalupe River State Park and for the past five years as one of two Texas Nature Trackers Biologists. He is father to son Dr. Noah Hensley, PhD. and daughter Dr. Jennifer Hensley, a pediatrician, and grandfather to four girls and one boy.

If you are attending in person, there is no need to register. However, if you are attending via Zoom, please register here before the meeting begins as late registration and entry will not be allowed. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Note: The Zoom recording will be available within days after the meeting on our  YouTube channel.

San Antonio Chapter

View Organizer Website

Register for Zoom

About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. 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