Native Plants

Native Plants. . , Utilizing old Native-American trails such as the Camino Pinta and the Camino Viejo, middle-1800s naturalists, botanists and explorers marveled at Texas Hill Country landscapes, wildlife and plants. Some collected samples. Ferdinand Lindheimer, often called the father of Texas botany, discovered several hundred new plant species., The natural beauty of the Hill Country's terrain was also appreciated by the first regional settlers. Boerne's German immigrant pioneer, C. Hugo Clauss, reminisces in 1875:, "In 1855 there were only a few huts in Boerne. Boerne was surrounded by the natural beauty of its virgin wilderness, civilization had hardly touched its forests (of the Cibolo Valley)... The Guadalupe River was laden with fish and shaded with giant cypress trees... ", What the naturalists and settlers saw, what they were describing and what they were classifying, were all Native Plants. One definition of a Hill Country native plant is one that was growing here when the first Europeans arrived., Did You Know? , The Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society Of Texas (NPSOT) promotes understanding, preservation and enjoyment of the native flora (plants) of Texas. Forward Trails is an educational program to honor Bill Ward, his wife Kathy and mother Louise, founding members of the Boerne Chapter and educational leaders in land conservation for native habitats., Native plants are naturally acclimated to the local temperature ranges, rainfall patterns, elevations, soils and terrain. Their significant regional variety in our Hill Country ecosystem also makes them biodiverse: our indigenous plants attract a wider array of wildlife, and play an integral role in providing food, water, and habitat for all living things. The relationship of native plants and wildlife is like an exquisite orchestra with species' lives dependent on the others. If a particular plant disappears, so do the insects and wildlife that depend on that plant., Both their variety and adaption make native plants an intelligent choice for use in personal landscaping, and most remain healthy and hardy even in windows of drought. Planting natives helps in rebalancing those removed as land is developed, thus protecting their continued role in sustaining Hill Country wildlife., Some Texas native plants include: , . Texas Greeneyes (Berlandiera texana) , . Wild Petunia (Ruellia drummondiana) , . Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii) , . Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) , . Lindheimer Muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimen) , . Devil's Shoestring (Nolina lindheimeri) , . Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana) , . Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus wrightii) , . Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muhlenbergil) , . Lacey Oak (Quercus layceyi), Captions - Flowers: , Wild Petunia, Image Source: Joshua Mayer . Blue Mistflower, Image Source: Bob Peterson . Lindheimer Muhly Grass, Image Source: Carolyn Walden . Pink Evening Primrose, Image Source: Delmar Cain . Gayfeather, Image Source: Wilt Shaw . Boerne Bean (Phaseolus texensis) . Texas Green Eyes (Berlandiera texana) . Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana) . False Foxglove (Penstemon cobaea) . Great Plains Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum) , Artwork Image Source: Joy Fisher Hein