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Native Plant Society of Texas

Big Bend Chapter

Reminder – Madera Canyon Trail Hike – Sunday, November 14, 2021

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[from Phyllis Kennedy]

Sunday morning, November 14th, 2021 is the Madera Canyon Trail hike and picnic. There will be several knowledgeable botanists along, so the hike should be an educational and fun experience. Due to trail capacity, however, the hike will be limited to members only, of which we can allow only forty (40) participants, less than half our current membership. An email with details has already been sent to all members, and reservations are required. If we do not meet the set limit of participants with members only, we will open the hike to non-members and will post an announcement to this effect about a week before the hike.

If you are not yet a member, please consider joining so you can take full advantage of outings such as this one that will be coming up.

Becoming a Member
To join, please go to the Become a member page on the statewide site. From here you will be able to apply via the New member online application, or print out an application that you can mail in. If you wish to join the Big Bend Chapter of the Society specifically, please choose Big Bend from the “Chapter” dropdown menu at the bottom of the online form, or write it on the print form where it requests, “Please name your primary chapter” (or 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, if you so choose).

Phyllis Kennedy
Newsletter, Communications

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: billarmstrong

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