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Native Plant Society of Texas

North Central Chapter

The Butterfly Garden at Fielder House

LOCATION: Fielder House, Arlington TX.

Volunteer Workdays: To be announced. If you’d like to volunteer at this garden, please contact us to be added to the volunteer list.

Garden Leader: Josephine Keeney

The butterfly garden at Fielder House was started in 2006. All work is performed by dedicated volunteers from the North Central Chapter NPSOT, the Arlington Organic Gardening Club, and the Cross Timbers Master Naturalists. The garden is open during daylight hours and is free! The goal is to have a garden made up of 100% Texas natives that will provide host and nectar plants for as many local caterpillars and butterflies as possible. It has been estimated that only 2% of all eggs laid by butterflies reach adulthood due to predators, disease, insecticides and lack of native habitat. In order to increase their numbers we are also raising butterflies indoors, then they are release them in the garden. Usually in the summer months, butterfly garden tours are scheduled and presentations on how you can raise butterflies in your landscape and identify caterpillars to raise indoors to later release into your landscape when they mature into butterflies. For more details, visit the Fielder House website

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