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Native Plant Society of Texas

Vintage Oaks Xeriscape Fair, Comal County

Deedy Wright

Austin Chapter, Invasive Plant Database

By Deedy Wright and Pat Kent

Group of people at a booth at an event
New Braunfels chapter table with Pat Kent and Deedy Wright talking to a Vintage Oaks resident about native plants in the landscape.

Saturday, July 22, Vintage Oaks New Braunfels POA sponsored a xeriscape fair for their residents.

About the Event

Vintage Oaks New Braunfels is a 3,900+ acre master planned community including multi-acre lots. Many new residents as well as longtime residents had expressed the need for information on how to landscape given the challenging weather patterns. Various gardening, conservation, and landscaping groups such as NPSOT, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, the Comal County Conservation Alliance, the Headwaters at the Comal, and several landscaping companies participated. The event was very well attended by over 200 Vintage Oaks residents.

Native Plants a Hot Topic

Interest in our message about using natives was a hot topic. Both the New Braunfels and the Lindheimer chapters participated. Our New Braunfels table had information about how to xeriscape, a list of local nurseries, reasons to plant natives, and Native American Seed resources. One of the most popular items was an article from the San Antonio Water System on why covering your yard with rocks is not a good idea.

We were excited to see so much interest in saving water and growing natives. In fact, a discussion is going on now to organize many of the same groups as participated in the Vintage Oaks event and contact other area HOAs about doing something similar for them. This hot, dry weather has certainly focused people around here on how to save water, help the environment, and have a nice landscape.

Recommended Reading

Don’t Rock Your Landscape

3 Reasons Rocks Don’t Rock the Landscape

More Chapter Activities this Summer

Native Plant Society chapters are working hard this summer to continue outreach and education about native plants. For events like this and other ways to engage, check out the Calendar.

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