Prairie Rose Chapter

October 2021 Newsletter

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Blackfoot Daisy

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

FALL PLANT SALE

OCTOBER 16,          9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Back demonstration garden

Glen Rose Courthouse Square

 

It’s time for our fall plant sale!  Fall is the best time in Texas to plant perennials, shrubs and trees, so we hope you’ve made your lists and are ready to add plants.  Now is the perfect time to finish filling out your beds and yard.

As in the past two sales we will offer 30 minutes time slots.  The 30-minute time slots you can sign up for are  9, 9:30, 10 & 10:30 a.m.  From 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. it is first-come, first-served.  We’ve discovered these time slots make it easier for us to answer questions and for people to actually shop for their plants.  There will be 8 people allowed into the back area at any given time.  Please register as soon as possible.  You can respond back to this newsletter or email us at prairierose.npsot@gmail.com.  Please list your top 2 time slots and you’ll receive a reply email with your time.

As a local chapter of a state organization, we comply with the CDC’s Covid-19 recommendations.  Current guidelines are fully vaccinated people without compromised immune systems do not need to wear a mask during outdoor activities. It is still recommended that unvaccinated people and people with weakened immune systems wear a mask in crowded outdoor events and in close contact with others.

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Garden Sept 25 2021

 

DEMONSTRATION GARDEN WORK DAY

OCTOBER 9,       9 a.m.

Glen Rose Courthouse Square

Our garden is looking pretty good, but this is the last chance to clean up everything and make it look great before our plant sale.  Please consider joining us for a little

 

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BIOBLITZ CHALLENGE

The Native Plant Society of Texas is leading the BIOBLITZ CHALLENGE.  Consider participating in this third annual event.  Anyone can do this!  Plant photos are entered into iNaturalist.

Anyone can document the wild plants (plants that aren’t cultivated or planted) anywhere within the state. Observations need to be made from October 17 through October 23 (native plant week in Texas), and they need to have photo evidence so they can be verified by others.

Plants observed should be wild and not cultivated. If you do document a cultivated plant, please mark it as cultivated.

For more information click here for iNaturalist Bioblitz

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LIGHTS OUT, TEXAS!

FALL MIGRATION TIME

We are still in the fall migration time period and need your help.   Texan by Nature has made a big push throughout Texas to lower light to aid in the fall migration, which includes birds, butterflies and many other species.  One in every four birds that migrate through the U.S. come through Texas.

Critical peak time period is September 5 – October 29.  The full fall migration time is August 15 – November 30.

Please turn off non-essential lights (inside and outside) from 11 p.m. – 6 a.m.

Summer-Tanager

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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