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.
Meet Pam Middleton
Meet Pam Middleton, our State Coordinator at the State Office in Fredericksburg

A Tough Plant For The New Year
By Delmar Cain Since it is January it is a good time to look forward, since here in the Hill Country the summer can occasionally arrive in a hurry. But since it is early January I hope that it is not too late to take a quick peek backward as

December 2011
NICE! Plant of the Month Quercus macrocarpa Family: Fagaceae – Beech Family Other Common Names: Burr Oak, Mossy Cup Oak, Savannah Oak Type: Large tree Natural Habitat: Stream bottoms and slopes in North and East Central Texas. Growth: Upwards of 80 feet. Spread is usually 40 feet or more. Deer
Comanche Peak prairie clover
Dalea reverchonii, or the Comanche Peak Prairie Clover, has only been documented in three counties in the entire world: Parker, Hood, and Wise counties in North Central Texas.

Rethinking Riparian Management
By Delmar Cain Ideas and models can stay in our heads for years, especially when they are formed in our early years. But just because we get them early does not mean that they are valid. The right occasion to reflect on them may not have presented itself. If not
Member awards announced
Outgoing president Cynthia Maguire announced awards to members and chapters for outstanding work in supporting the Society mission

Drought Tough Plant
By Delmar Cain The middle of the fall season might be a good time to consider a few plants that have weathered this extended drought with a degree of class. My criterion for “weathering” is that the plant has progressed through a normal growth sequence in a natural location with

November 2011
NICE! Plant of the Month Juglans major Family: Juglandaceae Type: Medium sized, deciduous, edible nut bearing tree with chambered pith in shoots; related to Eastern Black Walnut, J. nigra and Little or Texas Walnut, J. microcarpa. Natural Habitat: Found mostly near stream banks in Central Texas; ranges from Central Texas

The Wonders of Rain And Another NICE Tree
By Delmar Cain There is simply no substitute for rain. Over the last few months I had tried to keep a few plants alive by hand watering with well water, only to watch their leaves turn pale green and wither. I would have bet that the plants were dead. But
Rain lilies
Cooperia pedunculata, or more commonly known as Rain Lily, will pop up and bloom a couple of days after a good rain.
Rollin’ on Armand’s bayou
**ARCHIVED POST ** Armand Bayou Nature Center is a 2500 acre preserve in the center of a highly urbanized area between Johnson Space Center and the Bayport Industrial District. It protects remnants of the region’s original ecosystems including wetlands, bottomland forest and tall grass prairies.
Remember spear grass?
Remember the spear grass fights of our youth? Whether it was with friends, neighborhood kids or cousins, the first swimming trip of the summer usually began or ended with a spear grass battle.