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City of Austin Pollinator Week

Join the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department and the Public Library for Pollinator Week June 19 through June 25. The Bee City Austin celebration will include pollinator talks, […]

Communications Team Info Session

The Communications Committee is looking to fill key volunteer roles. Join the VP of Communication for this information session to learn more!

Outreach: Pollen in Love with Pollinators

Bring the kids & buzz on over to GOFM’s McGuire Dent Victory Garden at Menard Park for hands-on activities, plant and seed giveaways and lots of learning from local pollinator-obsessed experts!

Event Series NPSOT Growing Area Project

NPSOT Austin Growing Area Project, 4th Saturday Workdays

Dowell Ranch Preserve 301 West FM 1626, Manchaca, TX, United States

We have started a new collaboration with the Native Prairie Association of Texas, on their 150 acre Dowell Ranch Preserve. In return for allowing us to hold our plant sales and store equipment, we will assist with their prairie restoration. Part of these activities will be to grow native plants that can be used for […]

NB NPSOT Chapter Meeting

Paradise Lost and Found, from Construction Lot to Blooming Garden - by Eric Strickland

Chapter meeting: “Paradise Lost and Found, from Construction Lot to Blooming Garden.” – June 26

Chapter meeting: Our own chapter member, Eric Strickland, will present program "Paradise Lost and Found, from Construction Lot to Blooming Garden." Social 5:45 pm, Business 6:15 pm, Program at 6:30 pm at New Braunfels Public library meeting room. Join Zoom Meetinghttps://npsot-org.zoom.us/j/5035794714, passcode NPSOT123!Meeting ID: 503 579 4714One tap mobile+13462487799,,5035794714# US (Houston)+17209289299,,5035794714# US (Denver)Dial by your location  […]

Butterflies of Bexar County – June 27

Butterflies of Bexar County - Zachary Tonzetich will discuss some of the basics about how to get started in butterfly watching, describe some identification tips, and share photographs of his personal experiences finding butterflies in Bexar County and some of the native plants that serve as both nectar and larval hosts for butterflies in Texas. […]

Event Series Native Garden Workday

Native Garden Workday

Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country 4831 FM2673, Canyon Lake, Texas, United States

Please join us at the Heritage Museum to help maintain the Lindheimer Chapter's Demonstration Garden. Please bring water, closed toe shoes, gloves, and your favorite gardening tools. Contact Mickey Riviere […]

Summer Social

 Chapter Summer Social - Potluck with a Hawaiian Luau theme

Event Series Native Garden Workday

Native Garden Workday

Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture 1370 Churchill Drive, New Braunfels, Texas, United States

Please join us at the Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture to help maintain the Lindheimer Chapter's native demonstration garden. Please bring water, closed toe shoes, gloves, and your favorite gardening tools. Contact Craig Bruska at craigbruska@hotmail.com for details and to confirm the workday.

NPSOT Executive Board Meeting

Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) Executive Board meetings occur monthly and any member may attend. Contact the Executive Director prior to the meeting at state@npsot.org for Zoom and applicable document links. Please be prepared to follow the Visitor's Executive Meeting Protocol.

Chapter Board Meeting

A Zoom link will be sent to all members prior to the meeting.

Hot Stuff – Williamson County Chapter Meeting – July 13

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, July 13, 2023, when our featured topic will be Hot Stuff.  Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  Attend in person or via Zoom (register ahead). Our speaker presentation begins after a short business meeting, which for this month is also our annual meeting where we’ll announce […]

I-35 Hill County Monarch Waystation Workday

The next Monarch waystation workday is Saturday July 15th. The workday is every month on the 3rd Saturday. We will start on the southbound side at 9:00 am. Please come and go as your schedule allows. We will be watering and weeding. With a commitment of volunteer hours, you can qualify for a Volunteer Monarch T-Shirt. […]

Native Plants for Central Texas Raingardens – July 18

Tye Preston Memorial Library 16311 S. Access Road, Canyon Lake, Texas

Join the Lindheimer Chapter for a presentation from Shannon Brown about Native Plants for a Central Texas Raingarden. This in-person meeting will also be available over Zoom, click here for details on how to join. Shannon Brown founded Ecosystem Regeneration Artisans (ERA) Landscaping to unite talented land stewards on projects that realize the vision of […]

Texas Native Grapes – July 20, 2023

Texas has more species of wild native grapes than any other state. Join us to learn about Texas's major native grape species, their characteristics and distribution, and methods used to cultivate them in home gardens and vineyards.

Event Series NPSOT Growing Area Project

NPSOT Austin Growing Area Project, 4th Saturday Workdays

Dowell Ranch Preserve 301 West FM 1626, Manchaca, TX, United States

We have started a new collaboration with the Native Prairie Association of Texas, on their 150 acre Dowell Ranch Preserve. In return for allowing us to hold our plant sales and store equipment, we will assist with their prairie restoration. Part of these activities will be to grow native plants that can be used for […]

From Balconies to Backyards – July 22

A half-day, hybrid event brought to you by Texas Master Naturalists, Good Water Chapter Agenda1:00 Wizzie Brown “How to Attract Insects to Your Yard and Why You Should Want to”2:00 Jane Tillman “Put Out the Welcome Mat for Backyard Birds”3:00 Jessica Woods “Drop by Drop: The Impact of Small Changes on Water Conservation”4:00 Beth Erwin […]

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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