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Boerne Chapter

A Limestone Canyon, A Memorable Trip and a NICE! Plant

By Delmar Cain – Boerne Chapter, Native Plant Society of Texas
Published in the Boerne Star on May 9, 2014

This year is going by quickly and it is May already. It is also time for the Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas to recommend a NICE (Native Instead of Common Exotic) plant for the month for May. The featured plant for this moth is the Rock Penstemon (Penstemon baccharifolius). It has a flower that is an eye-catcher but the plant is no wimp.

I first saw this plant in 2007. An artist, Diane Avis, was spending time in Texas at a ranch on the Medina River near Pipe Creek, called Fred’s Place. Somehow she got my name and asked if I would come to the ranch and tell her the name of some of the plants and birds. I met her at the ranch and did a quick survey of a limestone canyon that told me that I needed more expertise than the person wearing my hat that day. I did see one plant, growing more or less out of a rock, that I certainly wanted to identify.

I knew that Bill Ward was always up for a field trip to different property, especially if it involved a canyon and the potential for finding another stand of Big Red Sage. The only persuasion that Bill needed was an invitation and an empty space on his calendar.

So on a beautiful fall day in late October, Bill and I headed west on SH 46. When we got to the ranch and the obligatory greetings and chitchat were completed, we headed to the middle of the property where a dry limestone creek bed suddenly and dramatically dropped into a medium sized Hill Country canyon.

Seeing Bill and that limestone canyon reminded me of that day in Austin when our miniature schnauzer, an inside couch dog, chased, caught and killed a mouse. This was what he was meant to do—this was his purpose in being. What that mouse was to our schnauzer, that limestone canyon was to Bill.

Without any hesitation Bill broke through the old ashe junipers, went over the side and scrambled down through the vines to the bottom of the canyon. Through the rest of the exploration that day, Bill leaned over rocks, tasted of rocks, climbed up the sides of steep outcrops and examined plants and fossils with his hand lens. His chisel-tip rock hammer got a good workout. Bill got a thrill exploring the canyon and I got a kick watching Bill.

We were rewarded also by seeing canyon mock-orange, false indigo, rusty blackhaw and some of the prettiest Lacey oaks that I have seen. We were serenaded and fussed at by a canyon wren and spied on by a red-shouldered hawk. A black vulture sailed by occasionally to make sure we were still moving. We did not find Big Red Sage, but we did find Rock Penstemon hanging precariously from the rocks.

Rock Penstemon, also known as Cut-Leaf Penstemon, Baccharis-leaf Beardtongue and Beard Tongue grows natively in the Edwards Plateau, the eastern counties of the Trans-Pecos and into Mexico. It is not documented in the USDA Plant Database in Medina County, but that is where Bill and I found it.

I have never seen a penstemon that I did not appreciate. The Rock Penstemon is not an exception. Its leaves are opposite on the stem and have a thickened almost rubbery appearance. Some of the leaves may be toothed around the edges and others may be smooth. The plant can grow to two feet in height, but will be reclining on a rocky site.

Its blooms are scarlet or cherry red and shaped like tiny megaphones with lips on the larger end. The flowers have a bit of white on the inner side of the lips, and are arranged on long stems that grow from the axils of the topmost leaves.

Rock Penstemon is found in dry, rocky environments and grows best in those conditions. It will grow in full sun and in part shade. It needs excellent drainage and can be planted in limestone based rock, gravel or sandy soil. If it is planted in soil, consider placing a nice limestone rock nearby for good measure. Detailed planting instructions are given on the Boerne Chapter NPSOT website under Plant of the Month at: http://www.npsot.org/wp/boerne/

Protect your Rock Penstemon from the deer. It will also attract hummingbirds and bees. Its flowers will provide you with viewing pleasure from June into September. Those flowers growing out of the limestone bluff at Fred’s Place were part of a wonderful memory from October of 2007.

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About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason