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Native Plant Society of Texas

Highland Lakes Chapter

Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) Level 1 class – April 1, 2023

Damianita photo by Terri Whaley

The Highland Lakes Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will host a
Native Landscape Certification Program Level 1 Class on Saturday April 1,
2023. This is an in-person class, and it will be held at the Inks Dam
National Fish Hatchery Ed Building. Check in starts at 8:00am, with the
actual class being from 8:30am to 3:30pm.

A description of the class can be found here: Class Descriptions –
Native Landscape Certification Program (www.npsot.org)<
https://www.npsot.org/wp/nlcp/course-descriptions>.

The first presentation will be an Introduction to Native Plants, which
will be about two hours long. The second presentation will be
description of 45 native plants and 5 invasives, also about two hours
long. There will also be a plant walk. There will be appropriate lunch
and other breaks.

NPSOT will post to its website the list of NLCP classes being offered
this spring on February 1. Registration for all NLCP classes, including the
Level 1 offered by HLNPSOT, will be done online.

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