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Native Plant Society of Texas

Prairie Rose Chapter

PLANT ID WALK CLEBURNE STATE PARK MONDAY, OCTOBER 24

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PLANT ID WALK

CLEBURNE STATE PARK

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 10 a.m.

5800 Park RD. 21, Cleburne

We had to cancel so many of our outdoor activities this year, we’ve added a short walk at Cleburne State Park.  This is a great park and we’re going to concentrate on plants that live in or near water, both native and invasive.  Most of our walks take place in prairieland, so this is a great opportunity to learn and identify different species.  Jaycee Fernandez will be guiding us.

Our normal meeting day would be October 28, but since it’s Halloween and the park offers special events during that weekend, we’ve moved our day up a week.  We hope you can join us.

If you don’t have a Park pass, don’t worry, Prairie Rose will be picking up the $6 day pass fee.  You can spend all day there if you like: bring a picnic lunch and hike around some of their trails.  This is a great fishing lake, so feel free to throw your fishing poles in the car.  State Parks are free to fish and you do NOT have to have a fishing license.

Please meet at the office about 9:45am so we can get a head count and check in.

Cleburne State Park is reached through Hwy. 67 about 6 miles south of Cleburne.  There are signs.  Turn on to Park Road 21 and follow it to the park.

We’ll send additional information later this month in our reminder notice.

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: prairierose

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 fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason