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Boerne Chapter

October 2022

NICE! Plant of the Month

(Bouteloua curtipendula)

Family: Poaceae

Other Common Names:Banderilla, Banderita, Navajita

Type: Perennial grass

Growth: Upright to one meter tall

Natural Habitat: Prairies, dry grassland, rocky slopes, hilltops, woodlands

Deer Resistance: High

Wildlife: Grazing animals, birds, insects, host plant for some butterflies and moths, nest material

Light Tolerance: Sun, part shade

Soil Moisture: Wet required to establish, then dry to arid is tolerated

Flowers: Red, orange, yellow

Fruit: Tan to ivory-colored seed (caryopsis)

Leaves: Alternate, green, blue green, turning tan, purple, or red in the fall

Water Requirements: High drought tolerance

Soil Requirements: Well-drained soil. Limestone sand, sand, clay, loam

Propagation: Seeds sown in fall or spring, roots

Narrative: One of the highly valuable native grasses of our state and one that truly lives up to its name is Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula). According to Texas A&M, in the 1800s, Sideoats’ common name was buffalo grass. It became the official state grass of Texas in 1971. With seeds hanging to one side, this perennial warm-season grass presents beautiful, tiny red, orange, and purple flowers from June to November and can be found throughout North America.

Sideoats is a good-quality grazing grass that provides food for seed birds and is the larval host for the Green Skipper butterfly (Hesperia viridis), Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiaca), and more including at least one moth species, Ctenucha venosa. Other of its beneficial characteristics, like most grasses, it is highly resistant to whitetails, grows in full sunlight, can tolerate shade with filtered sunlight and grows in a variety of soil-types. It also will germinate and grow quite readily in shallow, rocky soils, a plus in our local growing area.

Though standing at most forty inches tall, Sideoats has roots that may reach eight feet in depth allowing for extreme heat and drought tolerance so necessary for our hot, arid summers. This deep-root characteristic also helps stabilize the soil by preventing erosion. Planted with other grasses such as Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) there is evidence it may help outcompete the invasive KR Bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) and other Old-World grasses.

Think of planting Sideoats grama, not only in a prairie, but also in a sunny flower garden where its curving stems and showy delicate flowers will add a unique distinction.

Planting Instructions: Space plants three feet apart. Dig a hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill hole, using soil that was dug out. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant.

Watering Instructions after planting: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots. Then every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check for soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to one inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool fall and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter:  Water monthly only during periods of drought. Once established, natives will survive with little supplemental irrigation.

Care Instructions are provided by the Native Plant Society of Texas- Boerne Chapter. Our meetings begin at 7:00 pm on the first Tuesday, September-June at the Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium. Our meetings are free and open to the public and include social time starting at 6:30 pm. Please visit our website www.www.npsot.org/boerne for other suggested NICE! Plants of the Month.

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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