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.
Soapberry – so much NICEr than chinaberry
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on October 5, 2007 Operation NICE! (Natives Instead of Common Exotics!) recommended plant for October is western soapberry (Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii). This small- to medium-sized tree is common throughout much of Texas, yet it seems to me that few people think
September 2007
NICE! Plant of the Month Copper Canyon Daisy (Tagetes lemmonii) Family: Asteraceae Type: Shrubby herbaceous perennial. Natural Habitat: Native to Mexico and the Southwest U.S, it is well adapted for the Texas Hill Country. Growth: 2′ to 4′ tall and wide. Attains a naturally rounded mound. Deer Resistance: Its strong
Copper Canyon daisy, NICE! marigold for fall gardens
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on September 7, 2007 The September Plant of the Month for Operation NICE! (Natives Instead of Common Exotics!) is one of those plants I like to call “Texas-native-compatible.” Copper Canyon daisy (Tagetes lemmonii) grows wild in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and
Sign On Harvest Moon: Authors and Artists to Visit Boerne
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on August 10, 2007 The end of September this year could well be called “Native-Plant Days in Boerne.” The Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society will team with the Cibolo Nature Center to bring this community a couple of easy and
Book Signings, Art Exhibits, and Yard Tours
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on August 10, 2007 Mark your calendars! The last Friday and Saturday in September, the Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) will offer community-outreach events that include book signings, art exhibits, and tours of local yards which are
Remembering Mister Texas Wildflower
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on July 27, 2007 Lying in an obscure weed patch just south of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville is a big block of limestone affixed with a bronze plaque that has an important-looking inscription: “In Memory of Carroll Abbott – ‘Mister Texas
July-August 2007
NICE! Plant of the Month (Nassella (Stipa) tenuissima) Family: Poaceae Type: Perennial grass, grows in graceful draping tufts. Natural Habitat: Natural setting is open, rocky slopes at 5,000 to 7,000 ft. elevation in Trans-Pecos Mountains of Texas. Also found in New Mexico to central Mexico. Growth: Height 18″ to 24″.
Big Red Sage – where might it be hiding?
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on July 13, 2007 Big Red Sage – where might it be hiding? Big red sage (Salvia pentstemonoides) is common in gardens, but it is rare in the wild. Natural stands of big red sage are known today in only a few
June 2007
NICE! Plant of the Month (Erythrina herbacea) Family: Papilionaceae Other Common Names: Cherokee Bean, Red-cardinal, Cardinal Spear. Type: Large shrub. Natural Habitat: Native to sandy woods along the coast of Texas. Adapted as far north as Dallas. Growth: In the Hill Country, most likely 4′-5′ in height. [Hybrids are available
Solved: the Mystery of the First-Collected Big Red Sage
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on June 8, 2007 In May of 2004, Patty Leslie Pasztor and I got permission from land owners to kayak through some limestone canyons on Cibolo Creek to make notes on the unique native vegetation of that area. As we came around
Coralbean, not Hill Country native, but NICE! anyway
By Bill Ward Published in The Boerne Star on May 25, 2007 There is a tropical-looking shrub with long spikes of scarlet-red blooms that is becoming more and more popular in Hill Country gardens these days. It is the eye-catching coralbean (Erythrina herbacea). Don’t look for this plant growing in
May 2007
NICE! Plant of the Month (Oenothera speciosa) Family: Onagraceae Other Common Names: Showy Primrose, Buttercups (yellow center). Type: Perennial; upright to sprawling. Natural Habitat: Native to hot and dry locations in Central and Southern region of North America. Prairies and open woodlands, roadsides, slopes, and ditches throughout Texas. Growth: 12-24
