Fredericksburg Chapter

Enchanted Rock ~ 02.28.2023

Eighteen miles north of Fredericksburg the tip of a pink granite batholith, – 1.1 billion years old –

rises above the much younger limestone layers of the Edwards Plateau.
Enchanted Rock is celebrating its 45th anniversary as a state park on Thursday March 2, 2023

Our speakers for February provide a foundation for the celebration.

Debbie Windham, President of Friends of Enchanted Rock,

and Bob Lodowski, volunteer Interpretive Guide at Enchanted Rock,

will take us on a tour of the native plants and geography of our local treasure.

Native Plants and Geography of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area


Topic of February 28 Meeting

Fredericksburg, TX — The Fredericksburg Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas today announced its speakers for the February 28 meeting. Debbie Windham, President of Friends of Enchanted Rock, and Bob Lodowski, volunteer Interpretive Guide at Enchanted Rock, will speak on the native plants and geography of our local treasure.
“Debbie and Bob have worked together for several years as trail guides and are intimately acquainted with the native flora,” said chapter Vice President and program chair, Paula Stone.  “Their photos and stories should inspire us all to hike ‘The Rock’ again this spring.”
Windham was born and raised in Dallas, TX, and in 2002, she and her husband bought property in Hunt, TX. After her career as a Certified Financial Planner and Stock Broker managing corporation’s 401(k) plans, they moved full time to Hunt. They are working to bring their canyon land back to a native wildlife habitat under the constraints of an overabundance of deer and exotics on their high-fenced hunting ranch. Windham is a Texas Master Naturalist (Class of 2015), and the Past President and Past Vice-President of the Kerrville chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas. She has volunteered at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area for the last 7 years. Currently, she is an Interpretive Guide for hikes at Enchanted Rock and serves as the President of Friends of Enchanted Rock.
Lodowsky was also born and raised in Dallas, TX and, after a 43-year career in the financial services industry and raising four children, he, his wife and dog, moved to a small-acreage property north of Fredericksburg where they built their retirement home, fulfilling their dream to live in the Hill Country. He is excited about learning more about managing his land and sharing that knowledge with others. He is a Texas Master Naturalist (class of 2016), and a member of the Friends of Enchanted Rock. He is a volunteer Interpretive Guide at Enchanted Rock, a member of the Fredericksburg chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and formerly its treasurer for two years.

Fredericksburg Chapter, Native Plant Society of Texas
The chapter holds its monthly meetings on the 4th Tuesday of the month at St. Joseph’s Halle (212 W. San Antonio St., Fredericksburg). There is a social time at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend. More information can be found online at https://www.npsot.org/wp/fredericksburg/ and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/fbgtxnpsot).

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