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Native Plant Society of Texas

Boerne Chapter

May Meeting – Tuesday, May 3 – Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium, 6:30pm Social Time; 7:00pm Meeting Announcements and Presentation

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May Meeting – Tuesday, May 3 – Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium, 6:30pm Social Time; 7:00pm Meeting Announcements and Presentation
Presentation: Restoration of Coastal Marsh at San Jacinto State Park. The marsh played an important role in how Texans won the battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.  Restoring the marsh with native plants at San Jacinto State Park allows people to have a better understanding of the history of the battle.
Presented by: Eddie Seidensticker is currently on the Kendall Soil and Water Conservation Board.  He is also on the Kendall County Historical Commission.  Eddie was raised on the family ranch near Waring, Texas. After graduation from Southwest Texas State University, he worked for the Soil Conservation Service for 40 years.  After several assignments all over the state, he last served as a coastal erosion specialist at Baytown, Texas.  After retirement, he and his wife, Jackie, returned to the family ranch.

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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