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.
July-August 2008
NICE! Plant of the Month (Agave americana) Family: Amaryllis Other Common Names: Maguey, Flowering Aloe, Spiked Aloe, American Aloe Type: Rosette-forming succulent similar in size to a medium shrub. Natural Habitat: Native to Starr County in South Texas and three counties in the Trans Pecos (Atlas of the Vascular Plants
Agaves, NICE! drought-tolerant landscape plants
Author: Bill Ward This very hot and dry summer has made us appreciate the xeric plants in our yard. At a time when we don’t want to waste a drop of water, it is gratifying to have good-looking landscape plants we never have to water. For hot July, Operation NICE!
June 2008
NICE! Plant of the Month (Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash) Family: Poaceae Other Common Names: Indian Grass, Yellow Indian Grass Type: Perennial grass Natural Habitat: Indiangrass is a perennial bunch grass with a strong presence in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains. Along with little bluestem, big bluestem and switchgrass,
No Shortage of Endemic Plants in the Texas Hill Country
Author: Bill Ward There are close to 5,000 species of plants indigenous to Texas. Of these, almost 400 are endemic (i.e., occur no where else but Texas). The Texas Hill Country, alone, has about 75 endemic species, a lot more than most states have. I think I’ve written these facts
May 2008
NICE! Plant of the Month Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea) Family: Labiatae (Mint Family) Other Common Names: Mealy Sage, Mealycup sage, Texas Violet Sage Type: Perennial Natural Habitat: Found in the southern portion of the U.S. and west to California. It is native to Texas and Mexico. It can be
April 2008
NICE! Plant of the Month (Prunus rivularis) Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family) Other Common Names: Hog plum, Thicket plum Type: Small 3-8 foot, slender stems, thicket-forming shrub; suckers freely from roots. Natural Habitat: Native to the Edwards Plateau and north central Texas near stream banks, wood edges and roadsides. Preferred Site
Dry Year or Wet Year – Mealy Blue Sage is NICE!
Author: Bill Ward This dry, dry year has given our neck of the woods the scraggliest little bluebonnet patches we’ve have in a long time. But here and there are fields of blue that almost compensate for the failed bluebonnet crop. These are blue patches of the tough little mealy
Hiking through Eden with Bill Carr
Author: Bill Ward The nicest native-plant gardens I’ve seen around this area are not manmade; they are natural. They have a wide variety of trees and bushes, seasonally blooming forbs, ferns, decorative rocks, and water features – everything one could want in a native-plant garden. These are the little Gardens
March 2008
NICE! Plant of the Month (Sophora affinis) Family: Leguminosae (Legume Family) Type: Shrub or small tree, relative of Texas Mountain Laurel Natural Habitat: Central Texas north to Red River Growth: Slender tree Preferred Site and Use: Most attractive when given space and sun so it can develop an even, rounded
February 2008
NICE! Plant of the Month (Malus ioensis var. texana (Synonym: Pyrus ioensis var. texana)) Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family) Other Common Names: Texas crabapple, Prairie crabapple Type: Small deciduous, wide spreading, multi-branched tree 12-15 ft high or large shrub forming thicket by root suckers; spine-tipped spur shoots; bark on young trees
January 2008
NICE! Plant of the Month (Ehretia anacua) Family: Boraginaceae (Borage Family) Other Common Names: Sugarberry, Knock-away, Vogelbeerenbaum (German) or Birdberry Tree, Sandpaper Tree Type: Multi-trunk shrub or medium tree with a rounded, dense canopy and deeply furrowed bark; up to 40-50 feet in moist soils but much less in dry
October 2007
NICE! Plant of the Month (Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii) Family: Sapindaceae Type: Deciduous tree Natural Habitat: Wide variety of habitats throughout Texas and neighboring states. Growth: 10-50 feet, small to medium-sized tree in the Hill Country. Deer Resistance: Deer will browse on young trees; enclose tree with a wire cage.
