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.
Prickly Pear Cactus, The State Plant—Trouble on the Horizon
By Delmar Cain In my last article I gave my reasons for applauding the Legislature for making the prickly pear cactus the State Plant of Texas, specifically because of its toughness, its usefulness to wild and domestic animals and its importance to humans from prehistoric time until today. One would
White prickly poppy
The Prickly Poppy bloom looks similar to a poppy and the stem and leaves have the same bluish green tinge that other poppies have, but this Texas native is absolutely covered with prickles.
Prickly Pear Cactus—A Good Choice for The State Plant
By Delmar Cain In the last article for Native Grown I reported that the prickly pear cactus was selected by the Texas Legislature in 1995 to be the State Plant of Texas. That information probably came as a bit of a surprise to some of you as it did to
Use of native plants is growing in Lufkin
**ARCHIVED POST ** A Fall Native Plant Seminar is planned in Lufkin on September 29 featuring a free lecture by Dr Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.
Future annual meetings planned
The Native Plant Society of Texas approved host cities for its annual meeting for the next ten years.
Trees need water too
Most of a tree’s root system is only a couple feet below the surface.
Following A Midsummer Rabbit Trail
By Delmar Cain Following rabbit trails may result in unexpected and pleasant surprises or you may lose your jacket in Mr. McGregor’s garden. Here is a trail I hopped down. Since my wife and I live in Boerne, we get electricity from Bandera Electric Cooperative, Inc. and like all of
The heat is on
**ARCHIVED POST ** Global climate warming and issues related to climate change can make for “heated” discussions at any dinner table across our continent. The topic is complex, which can make addressing issues overwhelming, possibly leading to emotional conflict even among the most rational. A long-term program that provides a
A Yard For the Wet And Dry Years
By Delmar Cain As I get older I have found myself making up very good reasons for not doing the things that I no longer want to do. My reasons may strike others as foolish but they serve my purposes just fine. For instance, I don’t have to go fishing
Planning For Drought In The Future
By Delmar Cain With our serious drought now extending into the tenth month in the Hill Country, I am beginning to wonder what would constitute a normal weather year in Boerne. It seems since we moved here in 2005, the area has been having either a drought or above average
Preservation – challenge or piece of cake?
**ARCHIVED POST ** May was preservation month in Boerne, a time to ponder the unique and beautiful place in which we live and the challenges in preserving it. Admittedly most of the events of the month focussed on historical buildings, local family and commercial history and important historical events. But
Hope for quail in a new revolution
South Texas Natives, a TxDOT program in Kingsville, is working on producing native seeds in a quantity that will can restore quail habitat.
