Native Plant Society of Texas News, Summer 2014

News

Native Plant Society of Texas vol

31 no 3 | Summer 2013

President’s Message Just when many of us—in Central Texas at least—had reconciled to not having a decent spring wildflower bloom, recent rains have been just enough to provide moisture for the flowers, although our trees still barely manage.

Every wildflower season is different; dependent not only on the amount of precipitation received, but whether it arrives at the right time in the growth cycle for a particular species to capitalize on it. In Central Texas and on my recent drive to Glen Rose we’ve enjoyed a decent enough display of bluebonnets, Engelmann daisies, prairie verbena, black-foot daisies and other species to liven the heart with feelings of rejuvenation, which I’m convinced is the purpose of spring.

Don’t hesitate to stop your car, and enjoy the spring moment along the roadsides – it will get you through the drought and winter moments. And also take note of some biomimicry lessons (emulating or taking inspiration from nature in order to solve human problems) derived from our native wildflowers – be flexible, adaptable, and opportunistic when the rain comes and the sun shines. Good lessons for people and organizations! (Footnote: Our hearts go out to South Texas and the Panhandle that continue in exceptional drought conditions and probably had few moments of spring jubilation).

At our last State Board meeting, we had the opportunity to re-cap some great successes that your state officers and committees achieved in the last several months.

The Advocacy Committee led by Ricky Linex testified before the state legislature on four separate bills involving HOA regulations and xeric landscapes, the requirement for the use of native seeds in state funded land restoration projects, and the creation of a grant program to fund native seed development.

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Our education team under the leadership of Dawn Hancock awarded three prizes to budding native plant scientists as part of the ExxonMobil Science and Engineering Fair.

Cathy Downs, chair of the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas project, announced that 19 grants totaling almost $4,000 had been issued to create new Monarch Waystations in public demonstration gardens.

Bill Hopkins continues to grow our communication tools with new email utilities and a Kindle version of the newsletter. And finally, Cathy Lustgarten beamed as she announced that our newly approved Prairie Rose chapter (Glen Rose) burst forth with 38 new members. Despite the drought, it feels like your Society had quite a spring bloom of its own!

Lastly, I’ll make a plug for the Annual Symposium to be held in Corpus Christi. It is branded South Texas – Beach to Brush Country and features the diversity of habitats that intersect in that geographic region. Look for more information on the website, and plan to attend.

Onward through the wilderness!

Lonnie Childs

Kevin Janni joins state board At its April meeting, the State Board appointed Kevin Janni to the post of Vice President for Environmental Liaison.

Mr. Janni is a botanist with SWCA Environmental Consultants, an interim board member for the Society of Wetland Scientists and a Research Associate at BRIT. He has over ten years experience in ethnobotanical research. He is a member of the Dallas Chapter.

New chapter in Glen Rose The State Board has approved a new chapter in Glen Rose. The new chapter calls itself the Prairie Rose Chapter and has members from Granbury and other surrounding communities. It meets on the first Tuesday of the month. Learn more about them at npsot.org/wp/prairierose/.

A second new chapter is expected to be approved in July for the Uvalde area.

Unfortunately the Winnsboro chapter is being disbanded.

Call for symposium papers Writers are invited to submit research papers, general papers on topics of interest, and “how to” articles related to themes of the 2013 Texas Native Plants Symposium.

Find out more at npsot.org/wp/story/2013/3753/ or see the article elsewhere in this issue.

For questions about submitting a paper, please contact John Nikolatos, Education Committee Chair, at jnik@earthlink.net or Lonnie Childs, Symposium Co-Chair, at symposium@npsot.org.

Fellows Award nominations The Society is looking for nominations for the Benny J. Simpson Fellows Award.

This award is given in recognition of longtime involvement within the Society at the local, regional or state level. Nominees must have been a member for at least ten years and not have received the award previously. The award will be given to the two candidates with the highest number of nomination votes.

You can find a list of eligible candidates and download a ballot at npsot.org/wp/story/2013/3809/.

Committee chairs available The State Board is looking for chairs for the Native Plant Week (NPW) Committee and for the Membership Committee.

Native Plant Week occurs annually in the third week of October. The NPW Committee helps organize and publicize events to bring attention to native plants during that week. The Membership Committee is tasked with originating ideas or campaigns to bring new members into the organization. If you would like to serve in one of these ways please contact Lonnie Childs at lonniechilds@utexas.edu.

Native Plant Society of Texas

News Vol 31 No 3 | Summer 2013

The News, published four times per year, is an official publication of the Native Plant Society of Texas and is free to members. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Society or the editor.

Entire contents copyright Native Plant Society of Texas. Content may not be reprinted without the permission of the author, artist or editor.

Submissions are encouraged and should pertain to news or information relevant to the Society and its mission. Submissions may be edited for length, grammar, accuracy or for any other reason. Articles may also appear on our website.

Contact the editor regarding deadlines.

Submit manuscripts, artwork, letters, ideas, requests or suggestions to: • bill@prairiepoint.net, or • Bill Hopkins Native Plant Society of Texas News 4138 S. Lakeview Dr Gordon, TX 76453

Editor: Bill Hopkins Assistant Editors: Ricky Linex, Rick Rosen, Deedy Wright, Stephen Brueggerhoff Botanical Advisor: Jason Singhurst Social Media Manager: Sam Kieschnick Office Coordinator: Pam Middleton

Important reminders Because the News is sent via bulk mail, it is not forwarded or returned to sender whenever a member moves. Notify the Office Coordinator, P.O. Box 3017, Fredericksburg, TX 78624, or by phone at 830.997.9272, or you may e-mail your changes to us at: state@npsot.org.

Libraries and similar organizations may purchase a subscription to the News at the library rate of $5 a year. Contact the Office Coordinator.

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UTA student wins research grant Michelle Green of the University of Texas in Arlington has been awarded the Ann Miller Gonzalez Research Grant for her graduate work on the effects of urban ecology on native plants and its implications for recovery of native ecosystems.

Our mission is to promote the conservation, research and utilization of the native plants and plant habitats of Texas through education, outreach and example.

The Native Plant Soceity of Texas is a non-profit organization composed of professional and amateur botanists and others with an interest in the native flora of Texas. The organization is run by volunteers and funded by grants, donations and member dues.

State Office 320 W. San Antonio St. Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Phone 830.997.9272 Fax 866.527.4918 State Office Coordinator Pam Middleton, state@npsot.org, Mailing Address P.O. Box 3017 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624-1929 Executive Board President Lonnie Childs VP Administration Dell Hood VP Advocacy Ricky Linex VP Chapter Liaison Cathy Lustgarten VP Communications Bill Hopkins VP Education Dawn Hancock VP Environmental Liaison Kevin Janni VP Finance Cecil Carter Past President Cynthia Maguire Audit Committee Chair Betsy Farris Bring Back the Monarch Chair Cathy Downs Historian Harriet Horton Librarians Gerin and Dell Hood NLCP Coordinator Melissa Miller NICE! Committee Co-chair Deedy Wright NICE! Committee Co-chair Stephen Brueggerhoff Nominations Committee Chair Rhoda Poenisch Volunteer Coordinator Jane Crone Webmaster Bill Hopkins

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The award was announced by Vice President for Education Dawn Hancock on April 25. A committee consisting of Hancock, Sandra Balch, Stephen Brueggerhoff, Cecil Carter and Peter Schaar made the decision after a review of applicants.

Prizes awarded at Science Fair Three students received cash prizes from the Native Plant Society of Texas for native plant-related projects at the ExxonMobil Texas State Science & Engineering Fair in San Antonio.

The winning project in the junior level is Pecan’s Effects on Soil by Mark Stelluti, winner of one hundred dollars. In the senior level Mikyla Stalbaum and Carola Cortinas won for their team project The Power of Texas Lantana. Each will receive two hundred dollars.

Grants awarded to bring back the Monarchs Almost $4,000 in grant money has been provided by the Native Plant Society of Texas and Monarch Watch to fund planting of new Monarch habitat in 18 different community gardens around the state.

The small grants have been awarded to schools, nature centers and other organizations to create demonstration gardens or Monarch Waystations with habitat for the migrating Monarchs. A list of the gardens chosen for grants is at http://npsot.org/wp/story/2013/3576/.

Quilt project will benefit scholarship fund For a third year, Tricia Hopkins is challenging members to contribute blocks for a quilt to raise money for the Kate Hillhouse Scholarship Fund. Tricia will collect the blocks and make them into a quilt which will be raffled or auctioned during the Fall Symposium. Her previous quilts helped to raise unprecedented amounts.

For details go to http://npsot.org/wp/story/2013/3780/.

Blocks received before July 20 will be on display during the State Board meeting and a prize will be awarded to the maker of the block judged as the group’s favorite.

On the covers Our front and back covers are both by Steve Schwartzman this time. The front cover is Skeleton Plant (Lygodesmia texana).

The back cover is Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia marginata), a relative of the poinsettia.

Destination Corpus Christi Paul Cox

This year the annual State Meeting will be held in that sparkling city by the sea, Corpus Christi. In an area known to some as the Texas Riviera, Corpus Christi has to be one of the nicest of Texas’ mid-sized cities.

Although our focus is on attending the meeting, seeing old friends, and enjoying the programs and field trips, don’t forget that getting there is half the fun. Allow yourself enough time to make a couple of stops on the way.

Folks coming in from the eastern part of the state might be interested in some historic and champion trees. To see a beautiful Anaqua (Ehretia anacua), make a call on the Mission in Refugio. Anaquas are semi-evergreen trees with dark green sandpapery-surfaced leaves and orange berries attractive to birds—so much so that early German settlers named it Vogelbeerenbaum, or Birdberry Tree. This particular specimen in Refugio was once designated national champion due to the sum of its dimensions, but now that honor is held by a lesser tree in San Antonio. Nevertheless the Mission Anaqua still has historic value as the site where Sam Houston made his plea to stop the ill-fated Goliad expedition.

If you have never been to Goose Island State Park, just east of Rockport, stop by and pay homage to the state champion Live Oak (Quercus virginiana). Although it is not exceptionally tall, this venerable specimen is acknowledged as being one of the largest overall and oldest trees in Texas. Over the years the wind has forced the spreading limbs and branches into gnarling shapes that you can imagine having served as an eerie backdrop for ancient pagan rituals.

Those arriving via Interstate 37 can poke around Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi. The state park areas of Choke Canyon are rather uninteresting vegetationally, but on the northwest and southwest corners of the reservoir are some boat ramp areas with a few unofficial trails. These inroads into the brush offer good glimpses of South Texas plains vegetation, complete with Mormon Tea (Ephedra sp.), Guayacan (Guaiacum angustifolium), and Coma (Sideroxylon celastrinum). The area around Lake Corpus Christi is where Pat McNeal of Native Texas Nursery recently discovered a new addition to Texas flora, Manihot subciliata.

Photo: Golden Crownbeard by Terry Ruvalcaba

In the city of Corpus, be sure to pay a visit to the Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History. This is one of the finest museums of its size in the state. Not only are the exhibits well worth the time, but it is one of the few city facilities that have shown the pluck to plant mesquite as an effective landscape tree.

Of course the vegetational jewel of the city is the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, which has overcome a number of serious difficulties since its inception and is now on its feet in a big way. Additional property has been acquired adjacent to the original site with vegetation representative of the region, and the devoted staff maintains some nice plantings around the visitors’ center.

To tour the grounds take the self-guided nature trail, a one-mile loop meandering through native flora, with numbered stations identifying interesting plants of the area. A guidebook with line drawings and text interprets the plant and animal wildlife to be found along the trail. Texas Ebony, Colima, Aragosa and Nipple Cactus are some of the plants seldom found north of this area.

The South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center also grows two of the area’s endangered plant species: the Slender Rushpea (Hoffmannseggii tenella) and the Black Lace Cactus (Echinocereus reichenbachii var fitchii).

Since we’re in Corpus Christi we may as well go to the beach.

In the sand dunes, look for the Goat’s Foot Creeper (Ipomoea pes-caprae). Along the edges of tidal pools there are the succulents Glasswort (Salicornia depressa) and Saltwort (Batis maritima). The thick leaves of Glasswort can be eaten raw, and with some imagination, the taste is reminiscent of salty cucumbers.

There are many other things to see and do in the Corpus Christi area—it is a birder’s paradise, and of course few activities are as soothing as walking the Gulf beaches with the gentle surf rolling in.

This story originally appeared in our May 1994 issue. Some scientific names and place names have been updated. Manihot subciliata is not a recognized species.

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One of a kind for South Texas Colleen Schreiber

Tucked away in a place not typically advertised to the public is the A.E. Leonard Native Plant Garden, a one-ofa-kind South Texas gem. It’s unique in that it is the only place where one can find so many plant species native to South Texas in one spot - and by a lot. Some of the plants found here would even be very difficult to see in the wild in South Texas, and perhaps impossible to see in a garden.

“There’s no place like it,” insists Dr. Fred Bryant, Director of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (CKWRI). “We have some fairly rare plants in our garden, some that might not persist outside of cultivation 20 years from now.”

Currently the garden features over 350 species of plants native to the area from Del Rio across to San Antonio and Victoria and extending down to the Rio Grande Valley. They are representative of the mesquite savannah, South Texas brush, sand sheet, live oak motte, bordas escarpment, South Texas prairies and riparian zones. Many of the plants were acquired from South Texas ranches and in several cases landowners donated truckloads of dirt and rock used to create the habitats for these niche dependent species.

A garden for plant geeks, it has three quarters of the cactus and succulent species found in South Texas, including the four Manfredas, or False Aloes, found nowhere else in the United States except South Texas.

The native plant garden was Bryant’s idea. It wasn’t in the original plans; rather, it more or less just happened.

In 2004 Bryant and his advisory board raised the money to build a multi-use events building for Texas A&M University-Kingsville and the Institute. Once completed, he decided some landscaping was needed and the idea of a garden behind the patio came to mind and the Leonard family of San Antonio stepped up to help with much of the cost.

The garden was designed and established by David Mahler and his design partner Judy Walther. Their Photo opposite by David Mahler

company, Environmental Survey Consulting, based in Austin, specializes in native plant communities with a focus on habitat restoration and native landscaping.

Mahler and Walther started landscaping with native plants 20 years ago, long before it was “vogue” to do so.

Mahler, who is the lead designer on the project, describes himself as a “frog and turtle kid” and a kid of nature. He developed a love of plants early in his adult career while working as the nature director for various summer camps on the East Coast and later at the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve in western Travis County just outside of Austin.

Being less familiar with South Texas plants than plants of the Hill Country, for Mahler this particular journey has been interesting and challenging.

“I’m not a great botanist; I’m a decent botanist. I’m an old school naturalist, which is a fancy way of saying a jack of all trades for many outdoor things,” he comments.

“And yes, I’m a plant geek.”

The learning process began from the get go because the decision to plant only species native to South Texas required the planners to create a list. Creating an accurate list was an intensive process. Mahler and Walther used the just published Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Texas by Billy Turner, a retired botany professor at the University of Texas. The two-volume edition contains about 6,000 Texas maps, one for each Texas plant, showing the counties where each has been found.

Using this book, Walther created a list of about 2500 South Texas plants. On this list each plant is assigned a number from one through seven. For example a plant with a “1” is found exclusively in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, a “5” is found both in South Texas and equally in other parts of the state, and a “7” is mostly in other parts of the state with a few occurrences in South Texas.

To date, approximately 350 plants on that list are now growing in the garden.

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Mahler and his team have spent the last eight years building up the collection of plants, species by species.

Typically when he is adding to the collection, Mahler digs up four or five plants from a ranch. Two or three are planted immediately in the garden. Then to hedge his bets, he typically takes one or two home to his nursery to try later in the garden.

“We’ve had pretty good luck keeping them alive; we’ve gotten more to grow than we lost, but some take two or three turns,” he admits.

Their most recent project is focused on building a collection of South Texas woody and succulent species of which there are 342 possibilities on their master list. They now have 150 of those species growing well in the garden, labeled with unique ceramic tiles, and mapped in a newly published guide for this garden. There are another 50 woody and succulent species in the ground and as soon as

the success of those plants seems likely, each will be given a sign and added to the map.

The plant diversity has made this unique garden a terrific place to bird watch. It’s also a wonderful place for butterflies and dragonflies. In fact, Tom Langschied, CKWRI South Texas Wintering Birds Program Coordinator, has identified some dragonfly species in the garden that have never been seen north of the Rio Grande Valley.

While the garden is largely about the plants, a replica of an old fashioned windmill and water trough is the garden’s centerpiece. The idea for a water feature came after Bryant saw a replica of a hill country stream at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. After finding out that it was the well-known naturalist David Mahler who had developed it, he sought him out to build a similar kind of water feature for the South Texas garden.

“He’s a botanist and a landscape designer, but he’s more an artist than anything,” Bryant says of Mahler.

The idea of having some kind of stream appealed to Bryant as did the sound of running water.

“Hmmm. Is there really such a thing as a running stream in South Texas,” Mahler queried?

Moreover to have even a small waterfall one needed some elevation and rock, and as Mahler discovered there’s not a lot of rock in South Texas nor was there much elevation change in the garden. Nonetheless, like the planner and the designer that he is, Mahler and Bryant went on an exploration trip, of sorts, to the famed King Ranch. What they discovered were these dry streambeds that had sacahuista grass growing down to the edge. When they passed a windmill, a light bulb went off.

“We determined that the biggest waterfall in South Texas was, in fact, a windmill when the water comes out of the pipe into the tank,” Mahler said. “Then when it overflows out of the tank onto the ground there is usually a depression from the cattle. These depressions and the local ephemeral ponds fill up with wetland plants such as Arrowhead and blue water lilies in wet weather. That’s what we saw and this became our model,” he explained.

Once the water feature and riparian habitat were completed the plants were added in phases. The second phase was the cactus and succulent garden and the following year the bordas escarpment. The bordas escarpment of South Texas is a low caliche ridge that extends from Starr County north and eastward to the Nueces River. Mountain laurel, cenizo and many other species grow on these dry chalky hills.

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“It’s very different habitat. We knew we couldn’t grow the plants that occur on the bordas escarpment in the heavy black clay soils associated with the Kingsville area,” Mahler points out. “So we developed the habitat.

We brought in about 200 yards of caliche from a quarry in Live Oak County and we built the tallest mountain in Kingsville – it’s a little four foot hill.

The most recent habitat is the sand sheet, established about two years ago. Here again about 200 yards of sand had to be hauled in.

In creating a habitat there’s no real endpoint. Also without the much-needed tender loving care provided by gardener Mark Madrazo, the garden would be overgrown and invaded by exotic grasses like guinea grass and other noxious weeds.

Photos by David Mahler

“It’s a subtle maintenance,” Mahler points out. “We want it to look natural, even wild.”

This is Mahler’s first botanical garden that he’s designed and followed through to development and beyond. For him it’s been a labor of love, a learning experience.

“I knew my Hill Country plants, but I had to learn my South Texas plants, and while I’m no longer a beginner, I’m still learning, and I won’t live long enough to become a South Texas plant expert,” he insists.

A field trip to the A.E. Leonard Native Plant Garden is planned during our Fall Symposium.

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A trip to Big Bend Nancy Masterson

The Big Bend region of Texas has an allure, a pull to the heart, that makes every native plant lover want to revel in its huge desert expanses, green-ribboned river valley and high, cool basin of the Chisos Mountains.

Eighteen members of the Guadalupe County Chapter took a five-day, 480-mile journey to Big Bend National Park in April, staying at the Chisos Mountain Lodge at an elevation of 4500 feet. Organized by special event committee chair Bob Teweles, the trip was the chapter’s first overnight field trip, a planning feat ten months in the making. With ranger-led hikes, caravans to trailheads and fellowship in the park’s restaurant, chapter members had an outstanding experience and learned much about the various plant communities of the area.

National Park Service Ranger Jennette Jurado, a botanist by training and author of a four-color brochure, “Plants of the Chihuahuan Desert,” led the first hike, 2 miles through the pines and oaks of the Chisos Basin Loop Trail.

Members saw Texas Madrone (Arbutus xalapensis) and Feather Dalea (Dalea formosa) in bloom and learned the difference between Weeping Juniper (Juniperus flaccida) and Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeana).

An afternoon hike at the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail revealed brilliantly pink blooming Strawberry Pitaya (Echinocereus stramineus) and views of Boquillas, Mexico across the river. Some members visited the Hot Springs and others practiced their plant identification skills at the Dugout Wells oasis.

The four-mile hike the following day to Cattail Falls was a highlight of the trip; an unpublicized trail to a shaded, moist box canyon with seeping springs, deep pools, lush ferns and blooming Longspur Columbines (Aquilegia longissima) and Helliborine orchids (Epipactis gigantea).

According to trip leader Bob Teweles, his most poignant moment occurred when members found a beautiful purple flower that had the expert Jurado reaching for her copy of Barton Warnock’s “Wildflowers of Big Bend Country.” A Thickleaf Penstemon, she diagnosed, her first Penstemon dasyphyllus she’d found in the national park. “One of the most difficult of the beardtongues to locate,” she read from the Warnock text, thrilled by the find beneath the splendor of high mountain cliffs near the foot of The Window.

Members also found blooming Octotilla (Fouquieria splendens), Rainbow Cactus (Echinocereus dasyacanthus) and Brown-Flowered Cactus (Echinocereus russanthus). After picnic lunches, many ventured on to Castolon, Santa Elena Canyon and the Cottonwood Campground to explore other areas of the park.

The fourth day’s schedule allowed for a free morning and an afternoon trip to the native landscapes of the Lajitas Resort, a talk on ethnobotany at Big Bend Ranch State Park by Ranger Dave Long and dinner at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua. At week’s end, members took the all-day drive back to Guadalupe County, many stopping at the native plant garden at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center in Langtry.

Taking on a major field trip was a big undertaking for the five-year old chapter. Formed in 2008, Guadalupe County Chapter has grown to nearly 50 members. They publicize their monthly meetings and speaker topics, hold two plant sales a year, share an active NICE! program with an adjacent chapter, host full-day seminars, enjoy a summer social and annually donate native plant books to local libraries.

And now, cementing friendships during a long field trip will make the chapter even stronger.

Helliborine orchid

Photos by Daryl Styblo

Nancy Masterson is a member of the Guadalupe County Chapter.

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South Texas – Beach to Brush Country That will be the theme of our 2013 Annual Symposium to be held Thursday, October 17, through Sunday, October 20, at the Holiday Inn – Emerald Beach in Corpus Christi. On-line registration is targeted to begin in July.

sharing your images of our great native plants and habitats with your fellow attendees and getting a little well-deserved recognition while doing it. For inquiries and questions contact Cecil Carter at photocontest@npsot.org.

South Texas serves as the intersection point for the Brush Country, the Coastal Plains and Marshes, and the Gulf Beaches and includes unique habitats such as the Texas Sand Sheet.

Book accommodations now!

The symposium will provide an overview of the ecoregions and their evolution during historical times while also providing an understanding of the effects of current stresses such as climate change, urban sprawl, invasive plants, and general habitat destruction.

Ongoing efforts at habitat preservation and restoration will be examined along with some encouraging success stories. Because South Texas habitats continue to suffer under exceptional drought conditions, we will feature a review of water issues in the region. Finally, our diverse break-out session presentations will feature an array of topics ranging from the above themes to native plant gardening, sustainability, and other native plant related subjects.

In an effort to attract more students and educators, the Society is once again offering scholarships to qualified applicants.

Supporting the attendance of educators and students ensures the future of the Society and the vitality of our mission statement. When you renew your membership, please consider making a small donation to support the symposium. If you work or have worked for a corporation that will match your non-profit donation, then please remember to exercise that option and double your giving!

Seeking underwriting support.

If you have not booked your room reservation at the Holiday Inn – Emerald Beach in Corpus Christi, you can do it now.

Attendees will receive a discounted rate of $89 per night (plus tax) for standard rooms with the reduced rate also made available for the additional nights of October 16 and 20. The discounted rate applies for reservations booked by October 3.

Reservations for hotel rooms can be booked on-line at www. holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/reservation/roomrate. Be sure that the “group code” field is filled-in with “NPS” in order to receive the discounted rate of $89 per night. You may also call 361.673.9074 to book your reservation via phone. Be sure to mention that you will be a symposium attendee or mention the “group code” of NPS. For more information on the hotel, check it out at www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/corpus-christi/crpeb/hoteldetail.

Sycamore seeds Marilyn Blanton

Sailing before the winter wind Subject to its every whim Carried by soft bits of fluff Sycamore seeds on the cuff

We are also actively pursuing financial underwriting from foundations and corporations or in-kind donations of items or services. Do you know of someone that we should contact?

Please get in touch with Lonnie Childs, Symposium Co-Chair, at president@npsot.org. All referrals are welcome!

From dangling seed balls high in the tree That have loosened their grip and set them free

The proceeds from the Silent Auction will continue to go to the Kate Hillhouse Scholarship Fund. Chapters and members can help build our scholarship fund by donating to the silent auction. Whether it is a gift certificate to your favorite restaurant or store, an admired book that you are ready to pass on to another native plant lover, or perhaps a treasure of your own making, your donation contributes to a very worthwhile cause.

When the wind pauses, all be it brief The little travelers drift in quiet relief

Our Photo Contest featuring photos of native plants and landscapes is always popular. We hope that you will consider Photo by Bill Lindemann

Whirling wildly as if by fright Glistening in the cold morning light

To settle where the wind has led To lie on the earth in winter’s bed Promises of life waiting for spring If fate is kind, new trees it will bring

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Fragrant Mimosa would like your attention, please!

Bill Hopkins

As you are walking through a field you might happen to notice Fragrant Mimosa because of its beautiful pink blossoms. Or maybe its sweet scent will get your attention. If not it might just “grab you” with its claws as you brush past it.

Fragrant Mimosa is a deciduous, small shrub, 3 by 3 feet, with somewhat zigzag, rigid branches with small, delicate pinnately compound leaves. The soft pink puffballs are a

contrast to the sneaky, strongly recurved thorns up and down the branches.

Fragrant Mimosa (Mimosa borealis) is also known as Pink, Catclaw and Sensitive Mimosa. The genus name Mimosa is from the Latin mimus “mime” plus the adjectival suffix osa, presumably because some species fold their leaves when touched, seeming to mimic animal behavior.

Borealis refers to its northward range.

In spite of its prickly nature, similar to many plants in the brush country, Fragrant Mimosa is not native to deep South Texas. It is more commonly found in the brushy and gravelly limestone areas north of San Antonio and up into Kansas and Colorado and west into New Mexico. It is an infrequent visitor into the Plains Country.

The compound leaves of the plant, a member of the Fabaceae (Pea Family), share a similarity to the leaves of many other members of the family, including mesquite and acacias. Each Pink Mimosa leaf is composed of a stem, which may branch 3 or 4 times, with as many as 6 pairs of tiny leaflets on each branched stem.

Pink Mimosa grows in a variety of soils including rocky limestone soils, caliche, sandy loams and clay loams. It is both cold and heat tolerant and requires little or no supplemental water after it is established. It can grow in full sun and in part shade, but it will probably produce more blooms in full sun.

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Its eye-catching blooms, normally in the March-July period, are an excellent nectar source for bees and butterflies. The showy flowers are fragrant pink and white, puffy globes with yellow anthers that appeal both to the olfactory and visual senses. It is reportedly deer resistant, but may be grazed by livestock.

Mature plants are difficult to transplant, but Mimosa borealis can be rooted from cuttings taken in summer and early fall, according to Jill Nokes in How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest. The seed pods turn brown when ripe and open with a twisting motion to release the seeds. Collect the pods before they open and avoid collecting seeds from the ground.

With a little effort you might also find this plant in the nursery trade.

Photo opposite by Bill Lindemann; above by Delmar Cain

Don’t confuse this native mimosa with the widespread exotic tree also called Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin).

An excellent plant for a xeriscape garden, Fragrant Mimosa can be planted in a garden with a desert theme, in rocky, sunny areas or as a backdrop. It will also tolerate partial shade. It makes a great background shrub. Because of its thorns, it can be used to block private areas. It is easily controlled and can be pruned to promote new growth and flowering.

Fragrant Mimosa makes an excellent accent plant or ornamental, in addition to being very drought tolerant and able to take reflected heat. Very deserving of your attention.

Bill Hopkins is a member of the Cross Timbers Chapter.

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Local Chapters Chapter meetings are open to the public but please verify meeting times before attending. Visit npsot.org/Chapters/ to see chapter websites or to e-mail chapter contacts.

AMARILLO 3rd Tuesday Feb-Oct, various locations. Joanne Toler, 806.358.9603 AUSTIN 3rd Tuesday Jan-Nov, 7 pm, Wild Basin Wilderness, 805 N Cap of Tx Hwy. Kathy Trizna, 512.329.9844 BEAUMONT 2nd Saturday, 10 am, Beaumont Botanical Gardens, Tyrrell Park.

Sharon Odegar, 409.886.1877 BIG BEND (Brewster/Jeff Davis/Presidio counties) Meeting times/locations vary. Polly Melton, 432.364.2577 BLUESTEM (Victoria) Meeting times and place to be determined. Martha McAlister 361.275.3926 BOERNE 1st Tuesday Sep-June, 6:30 pm, Cibolo Nature Ctr. Scott Barthel, 830.537.5442 CADDO WILDFLOWER (Atlanta / Cass County) 4th Tuesday, 7 pm, Horne Enterprises, TX43 at TX77, Atlanta. Gene Bobo, 903.799.25272 COLLIN COUNTY (McKinney/Plano) 1st Tuesday, Jan-Oct 7 pm, Heard Museum, McKinney. Bill Woodfin, 972.838.9290 CONCHO VALLEY (San Angelo) Last Tuesday (except Jan, June, July, Dec) 7 pm, Massie-Meyer Garden Ctr, 815 S Abe. Brian Hetherington, 325.473.2027 CROSS TIMBERS (Weatherford) 2nd Thursday, 6:30 pm, Cherry Hill Comm. Ctr. Ricky Linex, 817.304.5266 DALLAS 3rd Monday (except Jul, Oct & Dec), 7 pm, REI (2nd fl), 4515 LBJ Freeway.

Randy Johnson, 214.584.5065

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FOUR CORNERS (Texarkana) 1st Thursday, 7 pm, Williams Memorial. UMC, 4000 Moores Lane, Vicki Avery. 903.824.2599 FREDERICKSBURG Last Tuesday Jan-Oct, 7 pm, United Methodist Church, 1800 North Llano. Kathy Lyles, 830.997.0724 GARLAND 3rd Sunday Mar, May, Sep, Oct, 3 pm, Bass Pro Shop 5001 Bass Pro Drive.

Melissa Martin, 214.328.4295 GUADALUPE COUNTY (Schertz/Seguin) 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 pm, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 606 S. Center St., Marion. Monta Zengerle, 830.283.4083 HIGHLAND LAKES (Burnet/Kingsland/ Marble Falls) 3rd Saturday Jan, March, May, Sep, Nov, 1 pm, Marble Falls Library. Fred Zagst, 830.693.1054 HOUSTON 3rd Thursday, 7 pm, 4th Thursday Oct, Houston Arboretum, 4501 Woodway Drive, alternative sites Jan/Dec. Linda Knowles, 281.558.3710 KERRVILLE 2nd Tuesday Sep-June, 3 pm, Riverside Nature Ctr, 150 Francisco Lemos St. Bill Stone, 830.238.3132 LA BAHIA (Brenham) 3rd Tuesday, Jan, April, July, Oct, 7 pm, Blinn College Student Ctr. Denise Vajdak, 979.324.8550 LAKE COUNTRY (Mount Pleasant) 1st Tuesday, 7 pm, Titus County AgriLife Extension Ctr, 1708 Industrial Road. Keith Kridler 903.572.7529 LINDHEIMER (New Braunfels) 3rd Tuesday, 7 pm, GVTC Auditorium. David Wilson 830.899.5339 NORTH CENTRAL (Fort Worth) 1st Thursday, 7 pm, Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Theresa Thomas, 817.485.6789

NORTHEAST TEXAS (Longview) 4thThursday, 7 pm, St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall. Carroll Flournoy, 903.918.1978 PINEYWOODS (Nacogdoches/Lufkin) Meeting times/locations vary. Peter Loos, 936.362.2215 PRAIRIE ROSE (Glen Rose/Granbury) 1st Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Somervell County Citizens Center, Glen Rose. Donna Hagar, 254.300.8661 SAN ANTONIO 4th Tuesday (except Aug & Dec), 7 pm, Lions Club Field House, 2809 Broadway. Jerry Morrisey, 210.382.2614 SOUTH PLAINS (Lubbock) Meeting time and place to be determined. George Jury 806.792.3291 SOUTH TEXAS (Corpus Christi) Meeting times/locations vary. Rhoda Poenisch, 361.776.3285 TONKAWA (Temple/Killeen) 1st Tuesday, 7 pm, Scott & White Conf Center. Ed Wood 254.939.0559 TRINITY FORKS (Denton) 4th Thursday Jan-May, Sep-Oct, 6:30 pm, Rm 251, TWU Stuart Science Complex. Cecil Carter, 940.321.9527 TYLER 1st Monday (2nd if 1st is holiday), Sep-May, 7 pm, TPWD Nature Ctr, Bascom Road(FM848). Kay Jenkins 903.566.1624 WILLIAMSON COUNTY 2nd Thursday, 7 pm, Georgetown Public Library. Kathy Galloway, 512.259.7350 YOUNG CO WILDFLOWER POWER (Graham) 2nd Thursday, 6:30 pm, Old Post Office Museum, 510 Third St. Susan Fanchier.

940.564.3077

Hummingbirds love this plant!

Sam Kieschnick

I have yet to meet anyone who does not enjoy watching hummingbirds.

These minute creatures may be the most actively interesting group of organisms on the planet. Their little wings beat around 20 to 30 times per second! The Aztecs of Mexico and Central America were especially fond of these little birds. Their word for hummingbird is “huitzil.” Say this word, and it sounds like a hummingbird buzzing away.

To support this highly active life, hummingbirds need high energy nectar from many different plants. One great native plant for Texas is the Hummingbird Bush (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii).

The Hummingbird Bush, also called Flame Acanthus, Wright’s Honeysuckle, and Wright’s Anisacanthus, is native to the rocky regions of the Edwards Plateau in west-central Texas. This shrub to subshrub grows to 3 to 4 feet vertically and can stretch out about 3 to 4 feet horizontally as well. It does well in various soil types from clay to sand to rock. It blooms in full sun, but I believe it can tolerate a bit of shade and still pop out a few flowers.

In summer and early fall, the plant produces showy red or orange blossoms. It’s actually been called a “profuse bloomer.” These half inch long tubular flowers are mighty attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies alike. Because it produces such a multitude of flowers, hummingbirds will spend much of the day visiting a single large plant. I always enjoy watching them zip from one flower to the next.

Hummingbird Bush is in Acanthaceae, or the Acanthus family. The family has around 2,500 species in about 250 genera. In Texas, representative species are American Water-Willow (Justicia americana), Wild Petunias (Ruellia Photo by Bill Lindemann

sp.), and Snakeherb (Dyschoriste linearis). Nonnatives such as Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea) and Clockvine (Thunbergia alata) are commonly used in cultivation.

One of my favorite things about this plant is their mechanism of dispersal! In late fall, the pollinated flowers produce capsules that have unique structures attached to the seeds. These small hook-like outgrowths are called retinaculums. When the capsule dries, it breaks open and the retinaculums fling the seeds away, allowing the plants to spread. During the heat of summer, the capsules can be quite explosive and launch the seeds many feet away!

The young plants are easy to weed away, if you so desire.

Another great thing about this plant: it’s deer resistant!

For several years, my family and I have not seen deer eat this plant, and it’s one of the very few left unnibbled. It has spread out of the flower garden, but we allow those plants to thrive.

Lack of rain is usually not a problem for this tough woody perennial; however, it can quickly flower after a summer splash. It may need a bit of watering for the first year, but once it is established, it rarely needs watering.

I highly suggest using this native plant in your landscape – you and the hummingbirds will enjoy it!

Sam Kieschnick is a member of the Cross Timbers Chapter.

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Guadalupe County members take a rest in a shady canyon in Big Bend. Left to right, first row: Julie Crouch, Mary Styblo, Daryl Styblo. Second row seated: Judy Stanley, Deedy Wright, Joyce Friesenhahn, Marilyn Anderson, Nancy Masterson, Claire Walters, Ranger Jennette Jurado. Third row: Jo Ann Teweles, Bob Teweles, Pam Turner, Andrew Friesenhahn, Monta Zengerle, Thom Walters. Photo by Daryl Styblo.

Don’t miss out on the fun!

When you join the Society, you become a member of a local chapter, with the opportunity to get involved at a personal level. Our local chapters have some great times together like field trips to Big Bend, and they also sponsor educational programs, demonstration gardens, workshops and many other types of programs that benefit their local communities.

Your membership dues also help support programs around the state, including grants and scholarships, the NICE! program, our initiative to restore monarch butterfly habitat and our new Native Landscape Certification program.

The Native Plant Society of Texas wants to preserve our rich biological heritage for future generations of Texans.

Join us and get in on the fun.

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Membership Categories Individual $35 Family $50 Student/Sr/Limited Income $25 Patron $100 Benefactor $250 Supporting $500 Lifetime Membership $1,200 (One-time payment) Mail your check to: Native Plant Society of Texas P.O. Box 3017 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 You may also join or renew online at npsot.org/wp/join-renew

Lifetime Members

Supporting Member

Lynnette Alley Bruce & Billie Ballengee Scott Barthel Joanne & Dick Bartlett Jim & Marilyn Blanton Edra Bogucki Richard & Jeanie Browning Rachel Cywinski David & Patricia L. Davidson Sandy Doss Marshall & Fonda Fox Greg Grant,

Pineywoods Native Plant Center Kathy Hall Ann Harder Gailon Hardin John & Linda Heaton Dell & Gerin Hood Bob & Janie Houck Philip Huey Bob & Deborah Hulse Mrs. N. L. Ledbetter, Jr. Elizabeth & Milton Liese Peter M. Loos Cathy Lustgarten Cynthia & Patrick Maguire Knox Michael Martin Celeste & Bill Mead Elizabeth & Jerald Mize Joan Mukherjee Bill & Jan Neiman,

Neiman Environments, Inc. Joe Orr Dr. Edith M. Pewitt Jean Philips Don & Rhoda Poenisch Nancy C. Smith Lisa & Jason Spangler Kathleen & Zoltan Trizna Judith L. Wible, M.D. Fran & Bill Woodfin

William Everheart

Honorary Lifetime Members Bettye Jane Dodds Dr. Mary Evelyn Blagg Huey Dorothy Baird Mattiza Sally Wasowski Sue Wiseman

Benefactors Brock Brown & Linda Nicholas Judy Cain, Stuart Nursery Inc. Samuel & Marilyn Escobedo Jamie Fairchild Bill Hunter Jeanne Leslie Mary H. Pritchett Keith Pulliam,

Appealing Gardens Landscape, LLC Kevin & Evelyn Shanley

Patrons Tricia Bradbury Mickey Burleson Delmar Cain, Ann Cain Beth Cambre Greg & Brenda Cauthen Lonnie & Valarie Childs Caye Cook Kelley Cunny Lavonne Daniels Henry Darley Leslie Davis Andrea DeLong-Amaya John Dromgoole, The Natural Gardener Carrie Dubberley, Dubberley Landscape Carolyn Estes Carol Feldman Karen Foley, Herb ‘N Health Ron Foster Don Gardner, Consulting Arborist, Pam Murfin Beverley Geer Cynthia Gersch Arthur C. Gibson James Gill, Gill Landscape Nursery Milton Gray Richard & Penni Hagan Cherry Hartig Bonnie Heckman Brian & Judy Hetherington

John Hirschi, Libra Foundation Joe & Jenny Hoelle Bill & Tricia Hopkins Ann & Arthur E. Jones Christine Jurzykowski Sue Ann Kendall Mary & J.J. Kennedy Ruth Kinler, Redenta’s Garden Frank Kirby & Dan Keith,

Rainbow Gardens Zoe Kirkpatrick Linda Knowles Gwen Kunz Mrs. Harold E. (Jean) Laughlin Patricia A. & David P. Lewis William L. & Janet Lindemann Julia Marsden H. D. Maxwell Kim McGregor Mitch & Kathy Mitchamore,

Hill Country Natives Mary & Lynn Moak Laney T. Mobley Kathy Moore Susan Moran Henry B. & Anne S. Paup Lisa Renee Phile Jackie Poole, Marian Reid Karen Reiter Sue Ripley Leeann Rosenthal Linda Ross Michael J. & Debbie Schaefer Susan & Don Schaezler,

ETC Information Services, LLC M K Shaw Judith & Lonnie Shockley Carol Shoemaker Dianne R. Simpson Polly L. Sparks David Stelter Robert Toth Reagan Tucker, Diana Davis Suzanne M. Tuttle, FWNC Refuge Frances Wasilchak Mary Frances Watson Robert R. White Lisa Williams Lucas Wong, Lisa Go

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Native Plant Society of Texas

320 W. San Antonio St. Fredericksburg, Texas 78624-3727