texas native times - Native Plant Society of Texas

TEXAS NATIVE TIMES
Spring 2005
The Newsletter for the Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas
Serving the Texas Coastal Region
Please join us! Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month (February through
November) at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, 4501 Woodway Drive in Memorial
Park. Information sharing is from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. Feel
free to bring a plant to show or have identified.
Houston Chapter Meetings
February 17, 2005 -- Katie Hillhouse: Where Native Plants Fit into the Whole Web of Existence -Why is it important that we protect native plants? What is a native plant, anyway? What really is a
“weed”? Katie will examine these questions and others in a presentation that may raise questions you
didn’t know you had.
Chapter officer election - After Katy Hillhouse’s presentation on February 17, 2005 -- see page
March 17, 2005 -- Anita Howlett: Carnivorous Plants of Texas -- Anita will take us into the world of
one of the native plant groups you may have thought grew in more exotic climates: the carnivores!
She will present them and with luck, will also bring live examples.
April 21, 2005 -- Linda Knowles -- Invasive Plants of the Texas Gulf Coast -- More than Tallows! -We all know about Chinese tallow, privet and Japanese honeysuckle and their impact on our
environments. Linda will discuss other Texas Gulf Coast invasive plants, characteristics that make
them invasive, their impact and what you can do to preserve local biodiversity.
Upcoming Events
February 26, 2005 - Spring Symposium - NPSOT & Lady Bird Johnson Nature Center, Austin, TX - See p.6
March 5, 2005 - Naturefest at Jesse Jones Park - See p.6
March 12, 2005 - TPWD & Houston-NPSOT “Managing Your Land for Wildlife” workshop, Tracy Gee
Community Center - See p.6
March 18 & 19, 2005 - March Mart @ Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens - See p.6
April 10, 2005 -- Houston NPSOT field trip to Big Creek Scenic Area, Shepherd, TX -- See p. 5
April 24, 2005 -- Houston NPSOT field trip to Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, Port Bolivar, TX -- See p.5
May 15, 2005 – Houston NPSOT field trip to Candy Abshier Wildlife Mgmnt Area at Smith Point near
Galveston Bay & Trinity Bay – See p.5
CHAPTER OFFICERS
At the November meeting, the current Board of Directors named a Nominating Committee to select a slate of candidates
for the Houston Chapter’s officer positions. (The responsibilities of each position are published elsewhere in this edition.)
The following people have been recommended by the Committee.
President - Linda Knowles
Vice President, Programs - Sarah Smith
Secretary - No one has accepted the nomination at press time.
Treasurer - Lillian Leeds
Newsletter Editor - Becky Phillips
Community Liaison – Glenn Olsen
Non Board Positions:
Field Trip Coordinator – Flo Hannah
Volunteer Coordinator – No one has accepted the nomination at press time.
Qualification statements by candidates can be found elsewhere in this edition.
All Board and non Board positions are considered open. Nominations from the floor will be accepted at the February
meeting prior to the actual election. Please ensure your nominee will accept the position, if elected, prior to nomination.
If, after reading the responsibilities, you would like to be considered for the office, please contact the Nominating
Committee before Feb. 16, 2005. Margaret Gnewuch at 713-431-6346 or Dave Knowles at 281-558-3710.
2004 EXECUTIVE BOARD
Houston Chapter
President
open
Vice President
J Kolenovsky
Secretary
Linda Knowles
Treasurer
Ray Parker
Programs/Special Events
Sarah Smith
Field Trips
Flo Hannah
713-664-0897
[email protected]
281-558-3710
[email protected]
281-476-4998
713-690-4360
[email protected]
713-932-1639
[email protected]
Publicity/Community Coordinator
Glenn Olsen
281-345-4151
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Becky Phillips
281-773-0440
[email protected]
Yaupon holly -- One of Houston’s best natives. Great for
a bright spot in your yard. Natural feeder for our Mocking
Birds. And a nice out of the vase item, too. See Eleanor
Borda’s Out of the Vase article in this issue.
Photo by B. Phillips
OFFICER NOMINEE STATEMENTS
PRESIDENT Nominee Linda Knowles statement: I have served on the NPSOT-H board as Secretary for two
years. I would like to continue working for NPSOT-H and its mission to preserve native plants as our natural
heritage. As a member of the Native Plant Society, I enjoy learning about plant identification, biologically
diverse native habitats and ecological niches of wildlife. I am a native Houstonian who is interested in the
remnants of Houston's prairies and forested bayous. As President working with the chapter Board and
membership, I would have three priorities:
(1) maintain and improve our chapter activities,
(2) extend our volunteer network to better share information about Houston's native plants and
ecosystems, and
(3) enhance the quality of life of Houston by encouraging the preservation and restoration of native
remnants.
Linda Knowles
VICE PRESIDENT - Programs Nominee Sarah Smith statement: For the past 2 years, I have set up speakers
for our meetings, and have provided NPSOT with some excellent speakers about native plants, environmental
preservation and the ecosystems in the Gulf Coast area. I have some excellent speakers lined up for 2005 as
well as a possible tour of the Endangered Species garden at Mercer Arboretum with Texas Master Naturalists. I
have also lined up volunteers to “pay” our rent at the Houston Arboretum by doing Sunday presentations at the
Arboretum. And I have actively participated in the planning and carrying out of the Wildscapes Workshop. I
would like to continue to do this work in 2005. Thank you. Sarah Smith
SECRETARY Nominee Statement – No one has accepted the nomination at press time.
TREASURER Nominee Lillian Leeds statement – I am a part-time CPA with Blazek & Vetterling, L.P., a CPA
firm specializing in non-profit clients. I was also the Treasurer for the past two years for NPSOT at the State
level. Prior to that I was a stay at home mom, who always stayed active at the volunteer level with non-profits.
My native plant garden at our new house is still in the dreaming and planning stages. I very much miss the
gardens at my old house. I’ve been a member of NPSOT since the early 1990's, and have been active with the
Houston Wildscapes seminars for several years.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Nominee Becky Phillips statement – I have current custody of the Chapter’s
publishing software, along with the instruction book and am having fun with it all. If you want to be published,
e-mail you article to me or to whomever is elected. Thanks to all.
COMMUNITY LIAISON Nominee Glenn Olsen statement -- My qualifications: Actively served on the
Houston Chapter board for about 10 years. I served as chairperson for this committee for about four years. I
also served on the State board for threes years and was State President for one year.
Non Board Positions
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Nominee statement-- No one has accepted the nomination at press time.
FIELD TRIP COORDINATOR Nominee Flo Hannah statement – No statement.
Forms of Floral Art: Think Outside the Vase
by Eleanor Borda, Member, NPSOT-Houston
Each topic in Italic is followed by a list of ideas or natives to use in implementing the project.
Forms of Floral Art: - Vase w Wreath w Corsage w Potpourri w Fresh Flowers w Dried Arrangements
Use Traditional Methods, OR: Try putting the wreath on the table. Bring potted plants inside. Put inside
plants in outside pots. Use three Tussie Mussies (historically a Victorian bridal bouquet, the Tussie-Mussie is
a small, compact cluster of flowers with bound stems creating a round bouquet) together on the wall. Throw
out the vase and use a palm tree or a baking potato instead.
It Doesn’t Have To Be Flowers - Think twigs, grass, rocks, leaves, berries, vines, fruit, vegetables, a vacated
wasp nest, nuts, seeds, roots, a fallen bird’s nest.
Native Foliage - Use it as a filler or background for vases, baskets, etc.
Native Grasses and Sedges - Inland sea oats, Horsetail, Lindheimer, Muhly, Sugar cane, plume grass, Cattail,
Switch grass, Side oats, grama, Bluestem grasses, Indian grass, Canada wild rye, White top sedge, & Goldenrod.
Native Trees and Shrubs - Red buckeye, American Witch hazel, Beautyberry, Mesquite, Rusty blackhaw, viburnum, Mountain laurel, Western Soapberry, Chile pequin, Hackberry, Mayhaw, Huisache, Elderberry, Magnolia &Cherry laurel.
Bog Plants - Pickerelweed, Arrowhead, Crinums, Lizard tail, Swamp & Spider lilies.
Easily Dried Natives - Daisy and sunflower-like plants (most are easily dried), Grass seed heads and
tassels,Wild Onion blossoms, Thistle, Butterflyweed blossoms, Moss, & Fungi.
Natives for Wreaths - Peppervine (multicolor berries), Native Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens), Coral Honeysuckle, Carolina Jessamine, Muscadine Grape vine with young grapes, Yaupon holly, Southern Magnolia
leaves, Possumhaw holly, Sweet Bay Magnolia leaves. Young, green, pliant limbs of interesting shape or color
can also be used. I particularly like River Birch and Rough-Leaf Dogwood branches.
Cut Flowers
Harvest flowers in the early morning, before dew evaporates. - Sunflowers, Coneflowers,
Wild indigos, Baby Blue Eyes, Snow on the Prairie, Indian paintbrush, Larkspur Blue, Mistflower, Bishop’s
weed, Rain lily, Butterflyweed, Salvias and sages, Palmetto spires, Red Yucca spires, Bee balm (horsemint),
Mexican hat, Gaillardia, Ironweed, Blue bells (Eustoma), Coreopsis, Bluebonnet, Eryngo, Lantana horrida,
Milkweeds, Wild asters, Liatris
*to reduce milky weeping from stems, burn stem tip with lighter or coat stem with hot wax or dip stem
tip in boiling water for about 20 seconds
Care for Fresh Arrangements - Use a clean knife and container, cut the stem on a diagonal above the node.
Smash end of “woody” plants with a hammer, remove excess foliage and keep cool. Add commercial plant
food OR a drop of bleach, ¼ tsp sugar, Vodka, or Gin.
Potpourri can be composed around color and balance more than scent. I like blue salvia and other colorful flowers with
artemesia (artemesia ludoviciana is native to Texas) and ball moss and a counterpoint: a few pieces of black
bark...something shiny and yellow...a trinket from the last vacation trip...a handful of marbles...let your imagination
roam. Southern Swamp Iris or Louisiana Iris roots can be used as a fixative for the potpourri. Chop or pulverize the
roots while green.
Remember: Think outside the vase and enjoy NATIVE forms of Floral Art!
HOUSTON-NPSOT Field Trips
All field trips gather for carpooling and directions at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center at 4501
Woodway. We depart promptly at 8:30am. Please bring a sack lunch, water, shoes for all weather conditions/
terrains, and mosquito repellant if desired. We normally return to the Arboretum parking lot following our
picnic lunches. We will proceed on a field trip unless there is a serious downpour. Light misting rain is
generally ignored. I hope to see many of you on these field trips. Flo Hannah
Sunday, April 10, 2005: Sam Houston National Forest, Big Creek Scenic Area, Shepherd, TX -- We will visit
the Big Creek Scenic Area, a 1,420-acre portion of Sam Houston National Forest that was established in 1962
as a special interest area. It is known for its diverse vegetation and beauty.
Sunday, April 24, 2005: Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, Port Bolivar, TX -- The Bolivar Flats and
Horseshoe Marsh Sanctuaries contain large expanses of Gulf of Mexico beach, uplands, high quality salt marsh,
and extremely productive mud flats. Bolivar Flats has been designated a "site of hemispheric importance" by
the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. We hope to find a variety of wildflowers in these two
Houston Audubon sanctuaries that stretch from the Gulf to the Intracoastal Canal at Port Bolivar.
Sunday, May 15, 2005: Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area, Smith Point, TX -- We are re-scheduling
the rained-out fall trip to the Candy Cain Abshier WMA. Candy Abshier is 207 acres along Galveston Bay and
Trinity Bay, near Smith Point in Chambers County. The sanctuary is mostly coastal prairie with a 60-acre stand
of live oaks along with several fresh water ponds. The wildflower and coastal grass diversity along the way and
within the sanctuary make it a favorite destination for our group.
Sunday, May 22 2005: Mark your calendar for a special trip to Mercer Arboretum to see their Endangered
Species garden (natives) along with the Gulf Coast Chapter of Master Naturalists! We will meet at the Visitors'
Center at 10:30 AM for a presentation by Anita Tiller, and then she will lead us on a tour of the garden. This
should be fun, and an easy "field trip" for those of you who think you might have trouble with one of our longer
field trips.
For more information please contact: Flo Hannah -- 713-932-1639, ext. 14
PRESERVATION OF NATIVE GROWTH
All nature lovers realize that if the public in general does not respect the rights of the community as a whole in
the surrounding native beauty, soon there will be no beauty to enjoy. In many states it is against the law to
gather certain fast disappearing plants, and violators of these laws are severely fined.
While it is hoped, for the sake of those who will later pass this way, that ultimately pleas and education may
influence the public to admire beauty without destroying it, there is another method by which it may be
conserved if the first seems slow. Let each make a mental list, if not an actual one, of the many trees and
shrubs so admired in Southern woods. By degrees they can be planted in parks, on school grounds or home
grounds.
Local nurserymen will assist by propagating and supplying the market with whatever varieties are in demand.
In this way many will be preserved not only for present, but for future, enjoyment. Dogwood, redbud, haw,
holly, yaupon and magnolia can thus be brought to blossom or to bear berries and to add permanent beauty to
the coast country. Whatever is planted in Southern gardens, therefore, let at least one variety of the lovely
native shrubs or trees be planted each year. In this way they will be preserved and perpetuated, not only for
this generation, but for posterity.
From: A GARDEN BOOK FOR HOUSTON, published by The Forum of Civics, 1929, p. 147. -- [The Forum of Civics:
An organization designed to stimulate civic pride and to combine many and varied forces for the betterment and beautification of our
city and county.]
NPSOT – STATE EVENTS
February 26, 2005 – Spring Symposium 2005: Those Other Native Texas Plants – Grasses, Ferns, Cacti &
Their Allies at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center, Austin, Texas. Afternoon sessions include plant
identification, propagation, plant rescue, species availability in the nursery trade and sustainable methods for
gardening with those other Texas native plants. Registrar at 512-292-4200 x-112 or http://www.wildflower.org.
October 20-23, 2005 – Fall Symposium 2005 -- The Big Bend Chapter invites and welcomes you to our
beautiful Big Bend for the 2005 Symposium. Sessions will be in both Fort Davis and Alpine. Fort Davis is the
most central town for lodging, but no place is a bad place! Fort Davis, Alpine and Marfa are all 30 minutes
apart. More information at NPSOT-State website at: http://www.npsot.org.
HOUSTON/HARRIS COUNTY Area Activities
February 12, 2005 - Landscape Design Plus - A class sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension at Bear
Creek Park Extension office, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. Hands on workshop. Watersmart concepts, plants selection,
recommended plants for Harris County, drip irrigation, practice landscape design. Class limited to 40, lunch
included. Fee: $50. Contact 281-855-5600 to register.
February 13, 2005. Glenn Olsen will give a presentation on wildflowers to the Daughters of The Republic in
Tomball, TX.
March 5, 2005 – Naturefest- Speakers, Booths & activities from 10 am to 4 pm at Jesse Jones Park & Nature
Center, 20634 Kenswick Drive, Humble, TX 77338 281-446-8588. Featured Speakers include: John & Gloria
Tveten (Birds- Birds' Nests); Fred Collins (Birds-Spring Migration); Nancy Greig, Eddie Halik (Cockrell
Butterfly Center); Mark Klym (TPWD-Hummingbirds); Diana Foss, Meg Goodman (TPWD-Bats); Mike
Howlett (Jesse Jones-Reptiles & Amphibians).
March 12, 2005. - Managing Your Land For Wildlife Workshop - Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD)/
NPSOT present a workshop that targets landowners who live primarily in Houston, but own rural acreage
elsewhere in the state. It's a way to get sound habitat/wildlife management information to landowners. Our
Chapter is helping sponsor the program and is responsible for the field trip. The workshop is from 9:00 am to
3:00 pm at the Tracy Gee Community Center 3599 Westheimer, Houston TX. For registration or more
information contact TPWD at 281-456-7029.
Optional Field Workshop - Plant Identification - Learn the basics of plant identification and tips on
which native plants benefit wildlife. From 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center.
Five dollar fee includes a packet of information on plant identification tips, native plant selection, reference
books list, and related information. For more information: Call Glenn Olsen at 281-345-4151 or email at
[email protected].
March 18-19, 2005 – March Mart – Organization exhibits and sales 8:00 am-5pm at the Mercer Arboretum &
Botanic Gardens 22306 Aldine-Westfield Road, Humble, Texas
April 2, 2005 – 15th Annual Earthday at Brazos Bend State Park – 9:00-5:00 pm. 21901 FM 762, Needville,
TX. www.bbspvo.org
April 30, 2005 - Watersmart - Annual Landscaping Workshop and Plant Sale (supported by the Texas
Cooperative Extension) From 8 to 5 at the Pasadena Convention Center. Flyer at http://www.watersmart.cc/pdf/
2005_WS_flyer.pdf
PRAIRIE GRASSES FOR PRAIRIE CHICKENS
By Diana Foss, Texas Parks & Wildlife
How did you spend the last shopping Saturday before
Christmas? Well, on that crisp, clear Saturday, December
18, forty-four people gathered together to help the
endangered Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken. The group’s goal
was to find specific native grasses and forbs to use in prairie
chicken rearing pens. The ultimate goal is to transplant
1,200 native prairie plants into those pens to benefit young
prairie chickens.
Spear-headed by Ron Jones, biologist with U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the volunteers worked half a day
to dig up eastern gamagrass, little bluestem, bushy bluestem, gulf coast muhly, longspike tridens, sugarcane
plume grass, tall yellow coneflower, ironweed, sunflower species, and a few others. The two digging sites
were fields with remnant prairie species that are slated for concrete development soon. The property owners
graciously agreed to allow collection of plant species before development, thus rescuing and preserving the
precious plant genetics. Loaded into large buckets and transported via flatbed trailers, the grasses and forbs
were hauled to a storage site at Challenger VII Park, a Harris County Precinct One facility. The prized clumps
will be cared for there until twelve prairie chicken rearing pens are completed on NASA Johnson Space Center
property. The pens serve as an important step in the learning curve for the young chickens. The grasses and
forbs will be planted inside each pen to provide cover and food. The flowering forbs will attract insects, which
are a large part of the young chickens’ diet. The collected plant species were selected because they will
provide shelter or produce seeds and vegetation as food sources for the young birds.
Volunteers who worked on this “prairie grasses for prairie chickens” project came from: the Houston Zoo, U.
S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Clear Lake office), Texas Master Naturalists (Gulf Coast, Galveston, and Ft.
Bend Chapters), Native Plant Society of Texas (Houston Chapter), Harris County (Precinct One), and Texas
Parks and Wildlife. Transportation containers, trailers, and vans came from U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Harris County Precinct One, Houston Zoo, Galveston Bay Foundation, Natural Resource Conservation
Service, Armand Bayou Nature Center, Texas Genco, and Bradshaw’s Nursery. Chick-Fil-A in Kemah
generously provided lunch for the exhausted volunteers. Mulch to cover the grass roots while in storage was
donated by Novus Wood Group. On the future planting day, a variety of nursery-grown grass species will be
donated to the project by the Native Plant Society of Texas, Houston chapter.
The Attwater’s Prairie Chicken is a rare resident of Texas coastal prairies. At the turn of the century, there
were approximately 1 million Attwater’s Prairie-Chickens in Texas. However, loss of coastal prairie habitat
over the years devastated the population. Less than 50 remain in the wild today, making the bird one of the
most endangered in North America. They remain at two sites along the Texas coast. Because natural wildfires
don’t occur like they once did, Chinese tallow trees now infest the last prairie remnants around Houston and
along the coast. Flat prairie land is desirable for urban development and a major reason for the decline of our
tall grass coastal prairie. The Houston Zoo and the Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken Task Force are working together to raise young prairie chickens and prepare them for release onto natural habitat sites. The young prairie chickens raised on the NASA site will be released on Texas prairie sites managed as refuges for the prairie
chicken.
THANK YOU to the volunteers, partners, and donors who joined together to help this endangered species, a
true keystone of the coastal prairie.
Editors: Linda Knowles, Carolyn Fannon, and Ron Jones.
Attwater Prairie Chicken -- photo by George Levandoski – http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/texas/attwater/index.html
NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS - HOUSTON CHAPTER
BOARD POSITION - RESPONSIBILITIES
President
1.
Conduct monthly meetings: announcements, door prizes.
2.
Set up and conduct Board meetings. All expenditures, donations, policies, and new activities require
board approval. Keep board members informed of activities involving the Chapter.
3
Help coordinate our annual fundraiser – Wildscapes Workshop – with Texas Parks & Wildlife.
4.
Interface with all other board positions: encourage, assist, etc.
5. Write up chapter “Year in Review” report for state that’s due September 1.
6. Optional: Attend state quarterly meetings in Georgetown or authorize another member to represent and vote
for the chapter.
Vice President/Program Coordinator
1. Find speakers for our 9 monthly meetings: obtain a bio and introduce speaker; provide $25 check from
Treasurer and thank-you card to speaker after meeting.
2. Find 10 speakers for the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center’s Urban Nature Series. Interface with
arboretum staff for open dates, audio-visual, room set up.
3. Participate in WWAC (Wildscapes Workshop Action Committee).
4. Conduct monthly meetings if president unable to do so.
Secretary
1.
Take minutes of Board and WWAC meetings and distribute them to attendees.
2.
Greet members and the public at monthly meetings and provide a sign-in sheet. Have available handouts, extra newsletters and NPSOT books for purchasing.
3.
Go to Post Office @ Dunlavy and West Gray to pick up chapter mail.
a.
mail bank statements to Treasurer.
b.
copy new/renewal memberships and mail with checks directly to Georgetown.
4.
Keep database of members.
5.
Send welcome letters to new members; thank you’s to patron & benefactor members.
6.
Participate in WWAC (Wildscapes Workshop Action Committee).
Treasurer
1.
Balance Houston Chapter checkbooks with bank statements monthly.
2.
Provide checks to members for chapter business, e.g., checks for speakers, postage, copying, Wildscape
expenses, and organize receipts.
3.
Calculate quarterly reports, pay sales tax due, and send to state by deadline.
4.
Keep track of Wildscapes Workshop expenses; calculate total expenses and revenue.
5.
Participate in WWAC (Wildscapes Workshop Action Committee)
BOARD POSITIONS, Cont’d.
Publicity/Community Outreach Coordinator
1. This position is the contact person for members and the general public: website, newsletters, calls.
2. Answer all inquiries
3. Give talks in the community.
4. Respond to opportunities for chapter participation: native plant id, help with schools, plant rescue, speakers.
5.
Inform the board of relevant projects, activities, or functions of other organizations that may warrant
chapter involvement.
6.
Network with other organizations whose projects are compatible with our Chapter objectives, e. g.
Audubon Society, Master Naturalists.
7.
Participate in WWAC (Wildscapes Workshop Action Committee).
Newsletter Editor
1.
Gather information for quarterly newsletter:
a.
get upcoming speakers/topics from VP/Programs Coordinator
b. get upcoming dates/details on field trips from Field Trip Coordinator
c. get details on upcoming booths from Volunteer Coordinator and recognize members’ time
commitment
2.
Produce and distribute quarterly newsletter:
a. print and mail hard copy version
b. post web version and email users that its available
3.
Participate in WWAC (Wildscapes Workshop Action Committee).
NON BOARD POSITIONS
Volunteer Coordinator
1.
Coordinate Information Booths: recruit volunteers for booth coverage; make sure we have enough
newsletters and handouts; chapter display.
2. Solicit volunteers for Wildscapes and organize coverage for booths, Plant & Book sale, raffle, registration,
clean up, etc.
Field Trip Coordinator
1. Arrange and coordinate field trips and leaders
Note: All position duties are flexible and are subject to change at the discretion of the Board.
PAINTBRUSH figwort family
(Scrophulariaaceae)
In Texas the genus Castilleja is represented by nine native
species with colors varying from cream to yellow to orange to
vermilion and magenta. The eye catching part of all
paintbrushes is not the inconspicuous yellowish green or
yellowish pink flower but the colorful leaves (bracts)
enveloping it and looking as if they had been dipped in paint.
The chief pollinators of paintbrush are hummingbirds, which
are attracted by the showy bracts to explore the nectar in the
depths of the elongated tubular flowers.
Recent studies at the National Wildflower Research Center in
Austin have shown that paintbrush is hemiparasitic (drawing water and minerals from a host) and that it grows
more vigorously when in contact with a host plant. What this means is that in times of drought the paintbrush
is apt to tap into the host plant roots and steal water and minerals, causing the host to wilt if not to die.
Indian legend describes the origin of the paintbrush: Each evening a young chief sat watching the sunset as the
colors changed from rose to crimson to gold and then faded, leaving a gorgeous afterglow. He longed to be
able to catch this beauty by painting it, but he had only his crude war paints made from pounded minerals and
heavy, stiff brushes too clumsy to copy such nuances of color. Each night after the glorious tints faded into
darkness, he went into his wigwam sad and heavy-hearted, and he prayed to the Great Spirit to give him the
ability to capture the beauty of the sunset. One evening as he sat watching a sunset more beautiful than any he
had ever seen, he heard a voice telling him to look down by his feet. There he found a graceful plant shaped
like a slender brush wet with paint that matched the red of the sunset. When he held its tip to the soft
buckskin, the color transferred perfectly. As other brushes sprang up dripping with the colors of the sunset, he
worked feverishly at his picture, tossing aside each brush as he finished with it and plucking another. At last
his heart was filled with joy for his picture was a true copy of the sunset. In the morning he saw that every
brush he had tossed away had taken root and multiplied, spreading the vivid beauty of the paintbrush over the
land.
Elizabeth Silverthorne, Legends & Lore of Texas Wildflowers, Texas A&M University Press 1996, pp122124. Photo from Native Plants of South Texas - http://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/index.html.
Time to Renew Membership
2005.02
Year.number on your mailing label is the date your State/Houston Chapter NPSOT membership
expires. Please remember to stay current, as the labels are generated from current State member
lists. Thanks.
What Am I? For those of
you who missed the November
2004 meeting, I am the first
two leaves from a bluebonnet
seed.
WELCOME to NEW MEMBERS
Laurie Barrow
Candy Donahue
Maggie Farrar
Ruthanne Funke
Carolyn Harris
Colette Lassberg
Professional Resources
The companies represented here are paid advertisers and are not endorsed by the Houston Chapter NPSOT.
Caldwell Nursery
Rosenberg
Landscape Design
Commercial – Residential
Herbs, Perennials,
Natives, Antique
Roses, Daylilies and
Unusual Tropicals
2436 Band Road
(just off hwy 36)
Rosenberg Texas 77471
less than 20 minutes from Houston
Phone: 281.342.4016
Fax: 281.341.7367
Email [email protected]
The Texas Native Times is a quarterly publication of the Houston Chapter - Native Plant Society of Texas.
Submission deadlines are the 10th of January, April, July & October for issues published the following month.
NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS
HOUSTON CHAPTER
Box 131254
Houston, TX 77219-1254
_____________________________________
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION & RENEWAL
Membership is open to any individual or organization. If you wish to join us, please indicate the category of
membership you desire, then clip and mail the application with the appropriate remittance to:
Native Plant Society of Texas, Houston Chapter, P.O. Box 131254 Houston, Texas 77219-1254
Select your membership category:
Student
$15
Senior Citizen
$15
Individual
$20
Family
$25
Group
$35
Patron
$50
Benefactor
$100
Corporate
$1000
New
Renewal
NAME _______________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________
CITY/STATE/ZIP ______________________________________
COUNTY______________________ PHONE (_____)___________
E-MAIL ________________________________________________