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.

  • Chapter or Committee

Frostweed
Clear Lake

Plant of the Month: Frostweed

Our plant of the month for March 2024 is a little bit icy.
Botanical name: Verbesina virginica
Common name(s): Frostweed, White Crownbeard, Iceplant, Iceweed, Virginia Crownbeard, others

Read More »
State

New Resource for You: Native Plants in Schools

Did you know that NPSOT now has resources available to help schools start their own Texas native plant gardens? Check out the new Native Plants in Schools section of our website. There you will find: School Garden Starter Guide – a short PDF guide with plant lists and tips and

Read More »
Cultivating conservation, planting seeds of change. Winter 2024 member magazine cover page
State

Winter 2024 Member Magazine

From Pines to Petals: Exploring the Pineywoods | 2023 Society Award Recipients | No-Freeze Trees | Water-Wise Strategies | Conservation Champions | Power Plants for Pollinators | Using the Invasive Plant Database | Coming Soon: More Native Milkweed! | Native Gardens are For the Birds | Native Plants Thriving in Town Hall | Promoting Native Milkweeds | Engaging the Next Generation | Native Plant Student Art Showcased | If You Know What to Look For

Read More »
Fredericksburg

March 26 “Invasive Non-Native Plants – and How to Get Rid of Them”

“Non-native, invasive plants are destroying biodiversity and wreaking havoc in our backyards, neighborhoods, parks and preserves,” stated Cheryl Hamilton, How do you recognize them? How do you eradicate them?” Hamilton, our speaker this month and co-founder of the Invaders of Texas Program, Balcones chapter, provides us with the tools.

Read More »
State

Honoring a Historic Site with Native Plants

By Sharon Van Buskirk, Dallas Chapter In the nearly four years since we organized the Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery in Dallas, we have seen our efforts to reclaim this pre-Civil War cemetery branch out to reach all kinds of people, firing up their interests in flora, fauna, education,

Read More »
Highland Lakes

March meeting – March 16

The Highland Lakes Native Plant Society will meet on Saturday, March 16,1-3 p.m. at the Marble Falls Public Library, 101 Main Street. An educational presentation will follow a 30 minute chapter businessmeeting. Deedy Wright will present on Invasive Plants and will cover these topics. The definition of an invasive plant

Read More »

Chapter Meeting, March 5 – Jan Wrede and Rufus Stephens

Chapter Meeting, March 5 As usual, the meeting will start with a social time at 6:00pm, at the Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium. Announcement will begin at 6:45pm, followed by the presentation.  For the social time, please bring any snacks/appetizers/desserts that you would like to share.  Speakers: Jan Wrede and Rufus

Read More »
State

Member Success Story: Be the Change

By Dell J. Hood, Hill Country Chapter For the past 18 years I have had the privilege of serving as a trustee of the Wimberley Village Library. By the end of this year, we will have finished our second expansion and added an 8,200 square foot wing to the existing

Read More »

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason