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Recommended Reading

Over the decades, members have suggested books to one another. The list below includes publications that cover a variety of topics that our members find interesting and useful. However, the books below have not been reviewed and may include some non-native plant resources. 

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To recommend a book for this list, contact your chapter webmaster.

Barb Rosenstock, Erika Meza

A gorgeous picture book based on the true story of a scientist who solves the mysteries of monarch butterfly migration—with the help of schoolchildren! A perfect story for nature lovers […]

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Dorothy Barid Mattiza

Identifies 100 of the most conspicuous wildflower species native to Texas, keyed to the regions where each may be found. Photos by members of the Native Plant Society of Texas.

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Jim Stanley

Living in the country in Texas can be the most enjoyable experience of your life, but managing rural property is not the same as taking care of a half-acre suburban […]

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Richard B. Taylor, Jimmy Rutledge, and Joe G. Herrera

A Field Guide to Common South Texas Shrubs” is a plant identification field guide designed to assist landowners, managers, and hunters identify selected woody plants and cacti that are important […]

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Theodore F. Niehaus, Charles L. Ripper

This guide, covering 1,505 species of wildflowers, groups flowers by color and plant characteristics for easy matching of pictures with specimens. With descriptions facing the more than 1,500 illustrations, all […]

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Benny Simpson

This book provides a comprehensive guide to identifying trees in Texas. It includes detailed descriptions of over 200 species of trees, as well as illustrations and photographs to aid in […]

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Steven T. Manning

This book provides the latest information on how to organize and enact prevention programs, build strategies, implement integrated procedures for management, and proceed towards site rehabilitation and restoration. The book […]

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Mark Gustafson

In this guide, biologist Mark Gustafson introduces residents and visitors to the history, geology, water resources, plants, and animals found in the nineteen counties occupying the eastern part of the […]

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Dexter Peacock and Forrest Smith

Includes 200 of the most common grasses, flowering plants, vines, cacti, and woody plants of the South Texas Sand sheet. Part of Perspectives on South Texas, a 12-book series sponsored […]

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Aldo Leopold

“A Sand County Almanac with Other Essays on Conservation from Round River” is a book written by Aldo Leopold, first published in 1949. The book is a collection of essays […]

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Mary F. Irish and Gary Irish

This book provides information on the cultivation and gardening uses of agave and yucca, as well as several other American genera in the family Agavaceae, with discussion of their cultivation […]

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Charles D. Stutzenbaker

This is a comprehensive guide to the aquatic and wetland plants of the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Brownsville, including all of the Texas coast. The book is authored […]

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Wayne H. McAlister and Martha K. McAlister

This book is a comprehensive guide to the natural and cultural history of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Texas Gulf Coast. The book offers a detailed overview of […]

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B.L. Turner, Holly Nichols, Geoffrey Den, Barney Lipscomb

This is the first atlas of the Texas flora ever and provides distributional information for about 6000 taxa of vascular plants native and naturalized in the state of Texas. The […]

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B.L. Turner, Barney Lipscomb

This is the first atlas of the Texas flora ever and provides distributional information for about 6000 taxa of vascular plants native and naturalized in the state of Texas. The […]

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Stan Tekiela

The handy book is divided into three main sections. First, you’ll learn all about hummingbirds: facts, range, habitat, songs, nests, and more. Up next, you’ll be introduced to the feeding […]

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Thomas E. Pope, Charles F. Fryling Jr., Neil G. Odenwald

With its unique climate, soil, and a longer growing season, the South gives its gardeners singular opportunity to combine the two most popular outdoor activities in the US: gardening and […]

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David Mizejewski

This book shows homeowners how to fill their yards and gardens with the sights and sounds of nature. Author David Mizejewski presents simple plans for reintroducing native plants that birds, […]

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The Xerces Society

This book is by The Xerces Society, an international nonprofit organization that is leading the way in pollinator conservation. The book provides a thorough overview of the problem along with […]

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Sara Dykman

The author’s compelling personal journey confirming the urgency of supporting the 2-way migration of monarch butterflies. View an interview with the author on Central Texas Gardener here.

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Douglas W. Tallamy

This book is a call to arms for gardeners who are searching for a better way to plant, maintain, and enjoy their gardens. The author argues that traditional landscaping practices […]

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Charles R. Hart, James H. Everitt, D. Lynn Drawe

This book is a field guide published by Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service that helps landowners and rangeland managers identify the brush and weed species of greatest concern in their […]

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Andy Wasowski, Sally Wasowski, Darrel G. Morrison

This book presents the concept of nature’s envelope, showing not only how construction can be managed in harmony with it, but also how homeowners and builders can save money while […]

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Paul H. Williams, Robbin W. Thorp, Leif L. Richardson, Sheila R. Colla

This book is a comprehensive guide to the bumble bees of North America. The book provides detailed information on the identification, distribution, ecology, and conservation of all 46 bumble bee […]

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John Tveten, Gloria Tveten

This book is a comprehensive guide to the butterflies of Houston and Southeast Texas. It covers more than 200 species of butterflies, including their life stages, habitat, and adult nectar […]

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Jeffrey Glassberg

This book is a field guide to the butterflies of Western North America. The book offers a comprehensive display of all the magnificent butterflies of the western region, stretching from […]

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Geyata Ajilvsgi

“Butterfly Gardening for Texas” is a book written by Geyata Ajilvsgi, an expert on plant and butterfly species in Texas. The book provides practical information about all kinds of butterflies […]

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Geyata Ajilvsgi

Information on creating an “instant” butterfly garden, growing pollinator-friendly native plants, how to photograph butterflies, and more.

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Del Weniger

This is a field guide that provides an illustrated overview of the cacti found in Texas and surrounding states. The guide covers over 100 species of cacti, including the ten […]

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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

This book is a field guide that provides a comprehensive overview of native prairie plants at various stages of growth. The guide is authored by the USDA-NRCS Elsberry Plant Materials […]

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George Clendenin

Detailed descriptions and line drawings help identify 140 economically important grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees on Texas rangelands, as well as the benefit of each to wildlife.

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Frank W. Gould, Brushy Creek Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas

This book is a field guide that provides an illustrated overview of the most significant common grasses growing in Texas. The guide contains a key to updated names of grasses, […]

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Douglas F. Welsh

This book is a comprehensive guide for gardeners and “yardeners” in Texas. The book provides detailed information on flowers, garden design, trees, shrubs, and vines, as well as vegetable, herb, […]

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Bonnie B. Amos, Frederick R. Gehlbach

This book is a collection of eight studies of the Edwards Plateau originally presented at a symposium sponsored by the Southwestern Association of Naturalists. The aim of the book is […]

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Del Weniger 

This book describes Texas as it was when European explorers arrived, shares the impressions of early travelers, and explains how the prairies have changed.

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Stephan L. Hatch , Kelly C. Umphres, A. Jenét Ardoin 

The book covers 172 species of grasses and contains range maps and color images of the inflorescences and spikelets of each species along with detailed, black-and-white illustrations found in the […]

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James H. Everitt, D. Lynn Drawe, Robert Lonard

“Field Guide to the Broad-Leaved Herbaceous Plants of South Texas: Used by Livestock and Wildlife” is a comprehensive guide to the most significant common grasses growing in Texas. The book […]

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A. Michael Powell and Richard D. Worthington

Taxonomic treatments of 2343 flowering plant species,120 sub-specific taxa, with botanical information.

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Rowan Jacobsen

This is a book authored by Rowan Jacobsen that discusses the disappearance of the world’s honeybee population and how it puts the food we eat at risk.

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Sally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski

Filled with practical advice and detailed information, this indispensable guide to prairie gardening shows readers how to choose space, plan a garden, select plants and flowers, and much more.

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TitleAuthorSummary
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees Douglas W. TallamyThe Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal.
Nature's Best HopeDouglas W. TallamyNature's Best Hope shows how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats.
Gardening With Prairie Plants: How To Create Beautiful Native LandscapesSally Wasowski and Andy WasowskiFilled with practical advice and detailed information, this indispensable guide to prairie gardening shows readers how to choose space, plan a garden, select plants and flowers, and much more.
100 Texas WildflowersDorothy Barid MattizaIdentifies 100 of the most conspicuous wildflower species native to Texas, keyed to the regions where each may be found. Photos by members of the Native Plant Society of Texas.
A Beginner’s Handbook for Rural Texas LandownersJim StanleyThe subtitle spells it out: ” How to Live in the Country Without Spoiling It.” This new book is the perfect introduction for small landowners wanting to be good stewards of their piece of the Hill Country. As the title says, it’s a place to begin and a perfect lead-in to Stanley’s earlier book (above) which contains more specifics.
A Field Guide to Common South Texas ShrubsTaylor, Richard B., Jimmy Rutledge, and Joe G. Herrera
A Field Guide to Texas TreesBenny Simpson
A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern ForestsManning, Steven T.
A Sand County Almanac with Other Essays on Conservation from Round RiverAldo Leopold
Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants: A Gardener’s GuideIrish, Mary and Gary
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of the Western Gulf CoastStutzenbaker, Charles D.
Aransas, A Naturalist’s GuideMcAlister & McAlister
Atlas of the Vascular Plants of TexasBillie Lee Turner, Holly Nichols, Geoffrey C. Denny, and Oded Doron
Attracting and Feeding HummingbirdsWilliamson, Sheri
Attracting Birds to Southern GardensPope, Odenwald, Fryling
Attracting Birds, Butterflies & other Backyard WildlifeMizejewski, David
Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies: the Xerces Society GuideEric Lee-Mäder
Bringing Nature HomeDouglas W. Tallamy
Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our GardensDouglas W. TallamyEveryone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity by simply choosing native plants.
Brush and Weeds of Texas RangelandsHart, Charles R., Barron S. Rector, et al
Building Inside Nature’s EnvelopeSally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski
Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification GuidePaul Williams, Robbin Thorp, Leif Richardson and Sheila Colla
Butterfly Gardening for TexasGeyata Ajilvsgi
Butterfly Gardening for the SouthGeyata Ajilvsgi
Butterflies of Houston and Southeast TexasJohn and Gloria Tveten
Cacti of Texas and Neighboring StatesDel WenigerField Guide
Central Region Seedling ID Guide for Native Prairie PlantsNRCS, US Department of AgricultureSmall spiral bound laminated field guide for identifying Native Prairie Plants of the Central Region of the US.
Butterflies through Binoculars: The WestJeffrey Glassberg
Common Texas Grasses: An Illustrated Guide (Volume 3)Frank W. Gould and Stephan L. Hatch Field Guide
Doug Welsh’s Texas Garden AlmanacDoug Welsh
Edwards Plateau VegetationBonnie B. Amos and Frederick R. Gehlbach
Explorers’ Texas: The Lands and WatersDel Weniger
A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern ForestsJames H. Miller, Erwin B. Chambliss, and Nancy J. LoewensteinThis book provides information on accurate identification of the 56 nonnative plants and groups that are currently invading the forests of the 13 Southern States, including Texas. It lists other nonnative plants of growing concern, covering trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, ferns, and forbs.
Field Guide to Common Texas GrassesStephen L. Hatch, Kelly C. Umphres & A. Jenet Ardoin
Field Guide to Broad-leaved Herbaceous Plants of South TexasEveritt, James H., D. Lynn Drawe, Robert I. Lonard
Field Guide to Common South Texas ShrubsTaylor, Rutledge, Herrera
Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural CrisisRowan JacobsenRowan Jacobsen uses the mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder to tell the bigger story of bees and their' essential connection to our daily lives.
Grasses of Southern Oklahoma and North Texas: a Pictorial GuideRussell Stevens & Chuck Coffey with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Fruitless Fall: the Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural CrisisRowan Jacobsen
Grasses of South Texas: A Guide to Identification and ValueEveritt, James H., D. Lynn Drawe, Christopher, R. Little, Robert I. Lonard
Grasses of the Texas Hill CountryBrian Loflin and Shirley LoflinThis photographic guide to grasses gives all who have been frustrated trying to identify these difficult plants an easy-to-use, visually precise, and information-packed field guide to seventy-seven native and introduced species that grow in the Texas Hill Country and beyond. With a blade of grass in hand, open this book and find: Handy thumb guides to seedhead type, the most visible distinguishing characteristic to begin identification. Color photographs of stands of grasses and detailed close-ups. Concise information about economic uses, habitat, range, and flowering season. Quick-reference icons.
Guide to Texas GrassesShaw, Robert B
Half Earth: Our Planets Fight for LifeE.O. Wilson, Liveright
Hill Country Ecology; Essays on Plants, Animals, Water, and Land ManagementJim StanleyIn this book, Dr. Stanley, a knowledgeable naturalist of Hill Country issues, addresses a wide range of topics of interest and concern to residents of the Texas Hill Country.
Hill Country Landowner’s Guide Jim StanleyIn this invaluable book, Jim Stanley charts a practical course for understanding and handling a variety of problems that both new and established landowners in the Texas Hill Country will confront—from brush control, grazing, and overpopulation of deer to erosion, fire, and management of exotic animals and plants.
How to Grow Native Plants of Texas & the SouthwestNokes, Jill, Kathryn Miller Brown
How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest, Revised & UpdatedJill NokesHow to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest has set the standard for both home and professional gardeners. In addition to the individual plant descriptions, Jill Nokes also devotes whole chapters to gathering and storing seeds, seed germination, planting, vegetative propagation, and transplanting.
Hummingbirds of TexasKlym, Mark; Shackelford, Clifford E.; Lindsay, Madge M
Identification of Milkweeds in TexasSinghurst, Jason, Ben Hutchins, and Walter C. Holmes
In a Desert Garden: Love and DFeath Among the InsectsJohn Alcock
Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden EcologyEric GrissellWith a sound basis in science and a practical grounding in gardening experience, Grissell introduces the reader to the role of insects in garden ecology.
Invasive Plants: Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North American SpeciesKaufman and Kaufman
Landscape Plants for Dry RegionsWarren Jones and Charles Sacamano
Landscaping Revolution: Garden with Mother Nature, Not Against HerSally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski
Landscaping with Native Texas PlantsSally Wasowski and Julie Ryan
Landscaping with Native Plants of TexasGeorge Oxford MillerIn this comprehensive, richly illustrated guide, author George Oxford Miller provides the "how-to," "when-to," and "what-to" for gardeners, landscapers, and homeowners throughout Texas.
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas & the SouthwestMiller, George O
Last Child in the Woods:Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit DisorderRuchard Louv
Lawn Gone! Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your YardPenick, Pam
Life on a Little Known Plant: A Biologist’s View of Insects and Their WorldHoward Ensign Evans
Manual of the Vascular Plants of TexasCorrell and Johnston
Matagorda Island, A Naturalist’s GuideMcAlister & McAlister
Native and Adapted Landscape Plants: an Earthwise Guide for Central TexasTexas AgriLife Extension, City of Austin
Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin and the Hill CountryBrother Daniel LynchField Guide
Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field GuideJim Weber, Lynne M. Weber, Roland H. Wauer
Native Host Plants for Texas Moths: A Field Guide Jim Weber, Lynne M. Weber, Roland H. Wauer
Native Perennials for the SoutheastH. Peter Loewer
Native Plant Gardening for BeginnersHaeley GiambalvoIt is easy to do with native plants! Native Plant Gardening for Beginners is your QUICK START GUIDE to making your native plant garden a REALITY!
Native Plants in Landscaping: Trees, Shrubs, Cacti and Grasses of the Texas Desert and MountainsMichael and Shirley A. PowellThe only book on ornamental plants dedicated to the remarkably cold-hardy and arid-adapted native species of Trans-Pecos Texas. The potential of these trees, shrubs, succulents, cacti, and grasses for use in the landscape, both within and beyond the borders of their native habitats, has been only superficially tapped.
Native Texas Gardens: Maximum Beauty, Minimum UpkeepSally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski
Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region, 2nd EditionSally Wasowski and Andy WasowskiThis is one of the first gardening and landscaping guides to feature native plants. One of the first books to get after moving to Texas, for those of us who were part of the problem on arrival, and seek instead to be part of the solution.
Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard Doug Tallamy
Nature’s Best Hope (Young Readers’ Edition): A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard Doug Tallamy
A Naturalist’s Guide to theTexas Hill Country Mark Gustafsonan overview of the plants, animals, geography, geology and history of the Hill Country. Especially good for newcomers to the world of nature in the Hill Country.
Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Back YardsSara SteinWhen Stein realized what her intensive efforts at making a traditional garden had done, she set out to "ungarden." Her book interweaves an account of her efforts with an explanation of the ecology of gardens.
Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests: A Field Guide for Identification and ControlMiller, James H.
North Central Texas Wildflowers: Field GuideMary Curry
Our Native Bees: North America’s Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save ThemPaige Embry
Plants of the Rio Grande DeltaRichardson
Plants of the Texas Coastal BendLehman, Roy L., Ruth O’Brien and Tammy White
Pollinators of Native Plants: Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and Beneficial Insects with Native PlantsHeather N Holm
Prairie Time, a Blackland PortraitMatt White
Range Plants of North Central Texas: a Land User’s Guide to Their Identification, Value and ManagementLinex, Ricky J.The plants covered in this very useful new book overlap considerably with our part of the Hill Country, making this a great addition to everyone’s plant identification library. Forbs, woody plants and grasses are covered with excellent pictures of the plants and seeds. Content includes description of the plants as well as their use, value and management in the native habitat. This book is published by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Weatherford and may be purchased at many of their offices, including the one in Kerrville at 2104 Memorial Blvd. (830) 896-4911.

Rare Plants of TexasPoole, Jackie; Carr, William; Price, Dana; Singhurst, Jason
Roadside Flowers of Texas Howard S. Irwin (Author), Mary Motz Wills (Painter295 pp., 64 pages of color illustrations. Paintings by Mary Motz Wills. Includes black and white illustrations of diagrams of the parts of a plant. Includes definition of botanical terms and index.
Native Plants for Southwestern LandscapesJudy Mielke
Remarkable Plants of Texas: Uncommon Accounts of Our Common NativesMatt Warnock TurnerMatt Warnock Turner explores the little-known facts—be they archaeological, historical, material, medicinal, culinary, or cultural—behind our familiar botanical landscape.
Requiem for a LawnmowerSally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski
Shinner's and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central TexasDiggs, George M., Barney L. Lipscomb, and Robert J. O’Kennon
Southwestern and Texas WildflowersNiehaul, Ripper and Savage
Stokes Butterfly Book: The Complete Guide to Butterfly GardeningStokes, Donald & Lillian
Stokes Hummingbird Book: The Complete Guide to Hummingbird GardeningStokes, Donald & Lillian
The Weather-resilient Garden: A Defensive Approach to Planning and LandscapingCharles W. G. Smith
Texas Bug Book: The Good, the Bad, and the UglyBeck, Malcolm and Garrett, John Howard
Texas CactiTexas A&M University Press
Texas Gardening for the 21st Century: Planning, Constructing, Planting, Embellishing, and Maintaining Your LandscapeSimpson, Nan Booth, and Patricia Scott McHargue
Texas Mushrooms: A Field GuideSusan Metzler and Van MetzlerField Guide
Texas Trees: A Friendly GuidePaul W. Cox and Patty LeslieAn authoritative guide that shows the trees' relation to human and animal life -- even in the charming illustrations. Includes leaf-shape guide, range maps, and an index of popular and scientific names for over 120 trees, both native and naturalized.
Texas Wildflowers: A Field GuideLoughmiller, Campbell and LynnField Guide; 2018 edition has been completely reorganized by flower colors (and within each color section, by flowering season) to make it even easier to identify the flowers you see as you travel through Texas. Every wildflower is illustrated with a beautiful full-color photograph—over 250 of which are new to this edition.
Texas WildflowersLoughmiller, Campbell and Lynn1994 Clear and concise descriptions for more than 300 Texas Wildflowers.
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for WildlifeNoreen Damude and Kelly Conrad BenderThis book tells you how and what to plant to provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Most important, it does so by furnishing lists of plants appropriate to the specific region of Texas you live in.
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for WildlifeBender, Kelly ConradIdentifies the kinds of animals you can expect when you give them their three basic needs: food, water, and shelter. She then provides guidelines for designing and planting your yard or garden to best provide these requirements for the many birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates the environment will attract. This book is hard to find so keep your eyes open at garage sales and library book sales. Amazon does have an E-Textbook version available
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for WildlifeNoreen Damude & Kelly Conrad Bender
The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's BeesJoseph S. Wilson, Olivia Messinger Carril
The Drunken BotanistAmy Stewart
The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and WoodlandsStephen Packard (Editor), Cornelia F. Mutel (Editor)
The Ferns and Lycophytes of TexasGeorge M. Ferns of TexasDiggs, Jr. and Barney L. LipscombTexas has a surprising number of native ferns and lycophytes — 127 in all, the most of any state in the continental U.S.A. This is particularly unexpected given that most people associate ferns and related plants with humid, even tropical conditions, just the opposite of much of Texas. This book explains why and looks at the fascinating world of Texas ferns, ranging from the swamp forests of far East Texas, to the hidden canyons of the Edwards Plateau, and even to the high mountain “sky islands” of such places as Big Bend National Park. Each species has an illustration page with a color photo, a line drawing, and detailed maps. Be ready to be surprised by this special group of Texas plants!
The Garden Book Corpus Christi Area Garden Council, Inc.
The Living LandscapeDarke & Tallamy
The Low-Water Flower GardenerEric A. Johnson and Scott Millard
Trees of Central TexasVines, Robert A.
Trees, Shrubs & Cacti of South TexasEveritt, James H., D. Lynn Drawe, Robert I. Lonard
Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of the Texas Hill CountryJan WredeThis is a field guide to more than 125 species of mostly native, mostly woody plants of the Texas Hill Country. A thoughtful introduction discusses deer, cedar, water, oak wilt, and invasive species. Plant descriptions contain information about the leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark of each plant and also give insights into the species’ range and habits. Especially useful is a comprehensive plant chart with tips about color, scent, flowering period, height, site preference, and wildlife and livestock utilization. A recommended reading list, a resource guide, and a glossary round out this information-packed book. With color photographs.
The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, ConservationBryan Danforth, Robert Minckley and John Neff
Useful Wild Plants of TexasScooter Cheatham and Marshall Johnston, with Lynn Marshall
Vascular Plants of TexasCorrell & Johnston
Wanted! Mountain Cedars, Dead or Alive Elizabeth McGreevy
Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico: A Guide to IdentificationEveritt, James H., Robert I. Lonard, and Christopher R. Little
Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical AtrocitiesAmy Stewart
Wild Edible Plants of TexasCharles Kane
Wild Orchids of TexasJoe Liggio and Ann Orto Liggio
Wildflowers of the Texas Hill CountryMarshall Enquist
Wildflowers Across AmericaLady Bird Johnson and Carlton B. Lees
Wildflowers and Other Plants of Texas Beaches and IslandsRichardson, Alfred
Wildflowers of Houston & Southeast TexasTveten, John & Gloria
Wildflowers of TexasAjilvsgi, GeyataOverview of 482 species of Texas wildflowers, grouped by flower color for easy identification.
Wildflowers of TexasMichael Eason
Includes more than 1,100 commonly encountered species, both native and introduced. Organized by flower color, with helpful color coding along the page edges making it easy to navigate.
Wildflowers of the Texas Hill CountryMarshal EnquistA comprehensive guide to the flora of the Hill Country, containing detailed descriptions and color illustrations of 427 species. Broad in scope, it covers everything from the smallest meadow flowers to the largest flowering trees and shrubs.
Your Remarkable RiparianSteve Nelle & Nueces River Authority
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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