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Native Plant Society of Texas

Fredericksburg Chapter

Conservation Tips: Controlling Invasives, How to Know Your Soil Type

View this presentation on  Fredericksburg Texas Native Gardening  

Jonathan Watt, President, Fredericksburg Chapter of NPSOT, recently announced the September 23 guest speaker in the September issue of the Native News.

Warren Day, the USDA District Conservationist in Fredericksburg will highlight the conservation services that support our goals in restoring native plants. He has been part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), throughout west Texas for 15 years, serving in Gillespie Country for the last 7 years.

“We’re working hard at NCRS to educate the public on how to be part of the conservation solution ,” said Day. “I’m looking forward to sharing tips on how homeowners and landowners can control invasive species and use our soil information to keep our water clean and abundant, our soils healthy, and have resilient landscapes and thriving agricultural communities.”

“Mr. Day will share potential control methods for a variety of invasive non-native plants and demostrate how to use the NRCS’ Web Soil Survey to map soils and obtain data that is useful to home and landowners.” Watt said, “We can all do our part to voluntarily conserve our resources, and he’ll share some great tips about how to do that.”

The NRCS Web Soil Survey map

 

NPSOT Fredericksburg holds its monthly meetings on the 4th Tuesday of the month at St. Joseph’s Halle. There is a social time with snacks at 6:30 p.m. The meeting and address from the speaker starts at 7 p.m.


Meetings are free and open to the public to attend in person or via online streaming . Information is also online at Facebook (@fbgtxnpsot), and Instagram (@npsot_fredericksburg_chapter)

Speaker from USDA natural resources conservation services

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

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 fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason