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Native Plant Society of Texas

Highland Lakes Chapter

Native Plant Rescue Project – May 17 Chapter meeting

Our next Highland Lakes-NPSOT Meeting, which will be Saturday, 17 May, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Marble Falls Library, 101 Main Street. 

This meeting will count as one hour of Advanced Training credit for Master Gardeners, and one hour of Advanced Training credit for Master Naturalists.

Ashley Landry is the founder of the Native Plant Rescue Project (NPRP), which is a Central Texas-based nonprofit that coordinates plant rescues prior to construction. She was the 2024 Nancy Benedict Memorial Award winner and has been featured in Wildflower magazine, NPAT’s Prairie People, The Austin Chronicle, Vibrante magazine and on Central Texas Gardener. Ashley is an avid iNaturalist user and enjoys spending her free time botanizing.
 
Ashley’s presentation will address:

  • A brief history of the Native Plant Rescue Project in Central Texas
  • A few highlights of rare species they’ve rescued, species that have been propagated, and some of the native plant gardens they’ve created
  • A discussion of their remnant prairie sod relocation
  • An overview of their involvement with plant rescue in the Highland Lakes area
  • Discussion of how you can help us save local ecotype plants in this area

You can learn more about NPRP by finding them on Instagram @nativeplantrescueproject or by visiting their website, www.native plant rescue project.org.
 
Upcoming Highland Lakes-NPSOT Chapter Meetings: 

We have a summer break in July; our next meeting on Saturday, 20 September will feature Lee Marlowe, a Sustainable Landscape Ecologist at the San Antonio River Authority. 

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

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