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Native Plant Society of Texas

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Membership in a Native Plant Society is a Worthy and Wonderful Gift

Craig Dalton

Learn about Native Plants

People who desire to learn about what creates a healthy ecosystem or just want a garden that will thrive in their ecoregion, should start with native plants.

Native Plant Societies offer a variety of ways to learn and develop a knowledge base of plants that do the very best in any landscape and perform valuable work to preserve and protect our environment. Gardeners will learn to recognize native habitat. 

The Role of Native Plant Societies

Native plant societies (NPS) are usually non-profit, volunteer-based organizations with a few employees who do the administrative and accounting work necessary to run an organization. NPS need a solid and growing membership to survive and be effective.

Native plants are specific to geographic areas called ecoregions defined by non-living factors such as climate, longitude, latitude, and soil type. Native plants, animals, bacteria and fungi have all worked together over time to create ecosystems that thrive in their specific ecoregion. For eons they lived together and depended on each other in very set ways. They have coevolved. The food webs created are intricate and dependent on the native flora. This balance of life also defines ecoregions and the habitats within them. The flora and fauna of deserts will be different from that in prairies or forests. Native plants that are specific to an ecoregion are usually best known by members of the native plant societies in that region.

Find Your Local NPS!

NPS are located in every state in the US and across Canada, another vast geographic area with many different ecoregions. To learn more about the work of other native plant societies in the United States and Canada, please visit the following websites. You can help support a native plant society and educate others all across North America!


Native Plant Society of Texas
Native Plant Societies of US and Canada

Consider giving yourself or someone else the gift of membership this holiday season!  Before long you too will become knowledgeable, passionate and happy to share that passion with others! 

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About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason