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Native Plant Society of Texas

Fall landscaping classes announced

NPSOT Archive

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The Society is offering classes in native plant landscaping to the public this fall in San Antonio and in the Fort Worth area.

Classes are offered for beginners and for more experienced gardeners. They are designed to be of benefit to a broad spectrum of students, from homeowners looking to landscape the backyard to professionals who want to know more about using native plants on the job.

Learn more about the San Antonio classes here and the Fort Worth classes here. A more advanced class will be announced for the Fort Worth area later in the fall.

The classes were developed by the Native Landscape Certification Program and taught by local members of the community. Students learn the identification of Texas natives, their place in the local ecosystem and the conditions which will allow them to thrive in a landscape.  The program started in San Antonio and expanded to the Dallas Fort Worth area last spring.

The Society expects to offer classes in additional areas in response to demand. Each class is tailored to fit the ecosystem in which it is offered.

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins

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