Collin County Chapter

Heard Museum Native Plant Sale

​The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary will soon be holding its 36th Annual Spring Native Plant Sale, a must-visit event for both seasoned gardeners and beginners looking to add Texas native plants to their landscapes. This highly anticipated fundraiser offers a variety of native species that thrive in North Central Texas while supporting pollinators, conserving water, and enhancing biodiversity.

Event Details:

📅 Dates & Times:

  • Heard Member-Only Pre-Sale: Friday, April 11, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
  • Open to the Public:
    • Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
    • Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

📍 Location: Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 Nature Place, McKinney, TX 75069

Why Attend?

🌱 Extensive Native Plant Selection – The sale features a wide variety of native Texas plants, including milkweeds vital for monarchs, nectar-rich flowers for pollinators, and hardy perennials suited for Texas weather.

📚 Expert Guidance – Volunteers from our NPSOT – Collin County Chapter and the Blackland Prairie Master Naturalists will be available to answer questions and help you choose the best plants for your landscape.

💡 First-Time Attendee? – Check out A Beginner’s Guide to the Heard Native Plant Sale from NPSOT for tips on planning your visit, understanding plant labels, and ensuring a successful native plant shopping experience!

Additional Perks:

Tax-free sales
Free parking
Admission to the museum is NOT required to attend
Bring your own cart or crate for easy transport

Proceeds from the sale directly support the Heard Museum’s mission of environmental education and conservation. For more details and updates, please visit the Heard Museum Plant Sale page. ​

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