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Native Plant Society of Texas

Collin County Chapter

Quail Habitat Restoration

Our friends at the Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society have an upcoming meeting that intersects with native plants. The January 26 virtual meeting is on local Quail habitat restoration projects. For more information on joining, please visit their website.

The Northern Bobwhite Quail is found in all areas of Texas, except the far west. Their numbers have declined in part due to the invasion of non-native grasses. The Bobwhite Quail needs landscapes with native bunch grasses, forbs, and dense woody cover to escape predators. Their diet may have up to 1,000 different plants, including native seeds, grains, and berries. More information on the Bobwhite Quail is available at the Audubon site.

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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