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Collin County – January Chapter Meeting

The January 2 Collin County Chapter meeting will be a hybrid meeting. You can attend online or in-person at the Heard Museum in McKinney. Those joining virtually, can connect via […]

Milkweed for Monarchs

Learn about the Monarch butterfly life cycle, migrating patterns, causes behind the decline in population, what steps can be taken to rebuild the Monarch population, and the importance of Milkweed […]

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 […]

Pines and Prairies NLCP Committee Meeting

Dear NLCP Committee Members,  This Monday begins our first meeting of 2024. We will meet at 7:00pm on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month on this Zoom link:  https://npsot-org.zoom.us/j/87628189964?pwd=NUdBV3ZTSzFVMjJjTnpycjlQTGRJQT09.  We're a small committee, and we don't get to see each other in person very often, so please plan to join with your camera on.  See […]

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 […]

Executive Committee Meeting

Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) Executive Committee 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.

Trees Talk to Each Other?

This virtual event is by the Gallatin Valley, MT Earth Day organization but we liked the topic and wanted you to know about it. They put on some excellent virtual […]

Chapter Leader Form: Native Plants in Schools

January -  Topic: Native Plants in Schools Description:  Join Haeley Giambalvo of the Native Plants in Schools Committee to get a preview of the new Native Plant Garden Starter Kit for […]

Pines and Prairies Chapter Meeting

Program Topic: "Trees for Kingwood" and Tips for Planting Native TreesPresenter: Chris BlochBusiness: Present and accept nominations for Pines and Prairies Board Note: This is a hybrid meeting. The face-to-face […]

Chapter Meeting – Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Bees, Butterflies & Birds to support & attract winged wildlife

It's a great introduction to habitat gardening; will start folks off with info & ideas for their 2024 gardens. Presented by Kathleen Scott at the New Braunfels Public Library meeting room. These are handouts for the meeting: Wildlife Habitat Basics Why Native Plants Eco-Friendly Gardening Practices CMG 2023 Programs Wildlife Plant List Bee Facts Social 5:45 pm, […]

Dear NLCP Committee Members,  This Monday begins our first meeting of 2024. We will meet at 7:00pm on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month on this Zoom link:  https://npsot-org.zoom.us/j/87628189964?pwd=NUdBV3ZTSzFVMjJjTnpycjlQTGRJQT09.  We're […]

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 […]

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 […]

Q1 State Board Meeting

Online State Board Zoom MeetingSaturday, February 3, 20239 am - 1 pm (come as early as 8:30 am) Every Society member is welcome. Voting members include chapter presidents (or their voting […]

Texas Native Plant Art Exhibition Has Moved to UNT

We want everyone to know that the Texas Native Plant Art Exhibition is now at the UNT Elm Fork Education Center for the month of February. The Elm Fork Education Center […]

Chapter Meeting Tuesday, Feb 6 at 6:00 pm

Feb 6 - Chapter Meeting at Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium - 6:00pm - Social Time; 6:45pm - Chapter Announcements, followed by the speaker Speaker: Our scheduled speaker, John Benedict, was recently taken […]

Collin County Chapter – February Meeting

Our presentation will be on "The Blackland Prairie Across Time" by George Diggs, an evolutionary biologist and botany professor at Austin College in Sherman. The Blackland Prairie, one of the […]

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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