News and Events

News and announcements from our committee chairs, board members, and chapter leaders. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date. For chapter news, visit Chapters. If you are looking for a calendar of events, see our Events Calendar.

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Attractive Grasses For Fall Color

By Delmar Cain We are about midway through the autumn when the light of the mornings and twilight of the evenings make even the fading flowers seem bright. At this time of the year I begin to pay more attention to the grasses many of which are forming their seeds

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Zexmenia—A Hardy and Versatile Performer

Delmar Cain The beginning of November sometimes gives us cooler weather but it always reminds us that Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that the year is moving swiftly toward a new year. We can still enjoy the browns, grays and yellows of the fall grasses and flowers and

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Mexican Buckeye provides color in the fall

**ARCHIVED POST ** Assuming you have the right place for it, the Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) is a great landscape tree. It provides excellent color in the fall with its leaves turning a bright yellow, making a wonderful contrast when placed next to a Big Tooth Maple or a Red

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Celebrate Texas Native Plant Week With A Field Trip

By Delmar Cain October 14th through the 20th, 2012 is Texas Native Plant Week. In 2009 the Governor signed a bill passed unanimously by both houses of the Texas Legislature, which designated the third week in October as a week to celebrate and learn about the wonderful heritage of native

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Annual awards presented

The Native Plant Society of Texas recognized excellence in writing, acts of conservation and public service, and lifetime achievement in the field of Texas native plants during the annual meeting in Kerrville on October 6.

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Annual meeting elects new officers

**ARCHIVED POST ** At the Annual Meeting in Kerrville on October 6, the Native Plant Society of Texas elected new officers and adopted five amendments to its Bylaws. The following members will serve on the Executive Board: Lonnie Childs, President Dell Hood, VP Administration Ricky Linex, VP Advocacy Cathy Lustgarten,

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Retama—A NICE Sun Lover

By Delmar Cain These cool mornings are very refreshing. The coffee smells better, tastes better and puts me in the mood to get the dogs out for their morning run. The lower temperatures also remind me that this is an excellent time of the year to put plants and trees

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Bexar Roots October 2012

**ARCHIVED POST ** from 2012-10-01 Click Here **ARCHIVED POST** **ARCHIVED POST LINKS & PICTURES MAY NOT WORK** **ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: tmaslonka **

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Native Landscape Certificate program to expand

**ARCHIVED POST ** The Native Landscape Certificate program is expanding into North Texas. Carol Feldman, a former president of the Native Plant Society and a landscape architect in Dallas, is organizing an initial training program on November 10-11 at the Dogwood Canyon Audubon facility in Cedar Hill. The session will

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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 fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason