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Native Plant Society of Texas

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers’ Home in Blanco

Ecoregion: Edwards Plateau
Native Plant Garden in Blanco

For Sheryl Smith-Rodgers and husband James Hearn in Blanco, it’s been a long process since 2008 of creating garden beds and planting natives. One reason why: Their yard is about two-city lots big. Plus they own an adjoining “vacant lot,” which they turned into The Meadow. That property has become a haven for antelope-horns and other native plants. Sheryl also focuses on bringing “neighborhood” natives into their gardens in an effort to preserve them. To name a few, there’s scarlet pea, Texas bush-clover,  two-leaved senna, pearl milkweed, littleleaf sensitive briar and more. Nearly all her native friends have name signs, too. Using iNaturalist, Sheryl has documented 1,562 species of all kinds on their property…so far! As they say, plant natives, and they’ll come.  

Since 2012, their Blanco gardens have been a demonstration site for Texas Wildscapes, a habitat restoration program led by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In 2016, Sheryl and James were featured on Central Texas Gardener. Since 2008, she’s blogged about their property and her nature adventures at Window on a Texas Wildscape. And since 2012, Sheryl has been a certified Texas Master Naturalist.

Front yard native plantings include Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana), Salvias (Salvia spp.), Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana), Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana); Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides) and Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida).

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