N North Central Texas

P NewsNative Plant Society of Texas, North Central Chapter Newsletter Volume 25, Number 5, June, 2013

S The President’s Corner Theresa Kay Thomas

A newsletter is of importance to our chapter for several rea- sons. A few of these are the feeling of community of like- O minded individuals that it provides, education of novice native plant lovers about Texas plants like myself, keeping members informed about what is happening in the Chapter and contact with the state organization and its initiatives. The North Central Chapter has attempted to produce a newsletter every T month except perhaps in January and July when the chapter does not meet. A motion was made at the May meeting and postponed for the present to change to a quarterly newsletter. Chapter Leaders The reasons for this are several: finding members to write Theresa Thomas - President articles and timeliness of input of articles to the newsletter [email protected] editor being the most pertinent. Since this decision directly Starr Krottinger - Vice President affects each member, we asking that you attend the June (Programs) meeting so that you can vote on this important change. Gailon Hardin - Treasurer [email protected] Martha Mullens- Secretary Patti Maness- NICE! Coordinator Note: There is no July meeting. Frank Keeney - Communications [email protected] Gailon Hardin & Dawn Hancock - Southwest Subcourthouse Garden Leaders Theresa Thomas & Bill Hall - June meeeting Hulen Regional Library Garden Leader Thursday, June 6, 7:00 pm Nancy Price - Hospitality Chair Char McMorrow - Membership Orchid Room, Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center, Chair Fort Worth Botanic Gardens Dawn Hancock - Parliamentarian Molly Hollar - Molly Hollar Wildscape Garden Leader Program: From Lawns to Native Plant Gardens

The purpose of the Native Plant Society of Texas is to promote the The June program will be presented by Josephine and Frank conservation, research, and Keeney, and it will help us learn how best to change our lawns utilization of the native plants to native plant gardens. Josephine and Frank are active NPSOT and plant habitats of Texas through education, outreach and members as well as being active in other organizations that example. focus on keeping things natural! This will be a practical learn- Visit us at ing experience for those of us who would like to incorporate more native plants in our yards but aren’t sure how best to ncnpsot.org and proceed. txnativeplants.org 2 NPSOT News June 2013

Plant of the Month Josephine Keeney

Four-nerve daisy, Tetraneuris scaposa, Asteraceae

What a lovely little plant Four- nerve daisy is! Besides being a perennial and evergreen, which is a virtue in itself, and blooming almost non- stop all year long, it requires very little water and care other than cutting the spent flowers to en- courage continuous bloom. Four- nerve daisy is a slow grower but once established it keeps on going with almost no care. I have seen it blooming in the dead of winter, when no color can be found in the garden, cheering the heart of the gardener who had the foresight to put it there. The plant is only about six inches tall, and the flowers grow on solitary stems making the entire plant about one foot tall or less. It usually makes a clump about twelve inches wide, so the compact shape makes it ideal for sunny edges and keeps it very neat. The bright yellow ray flowers are three-toothed and if you look closely you can see the four veins or nerves on both sides of the ray, hence the name. All in all this is a lovely little plant that has been ignored by the nurseries and should be used more often. 13

Find more native plant information at www.texasstar.org, a forum for Texas gardeners dedicated to the cultivation and propagation of Texas native plants. June 2013 NPSOT News 3

North Central Chapter News Dawn Hancock

Three members of North Central with the Fort Worth Botanical Knapp, Char McMorrow, Laura Chapter journeyed to Glen Rose to Society on April 6. All 808 plants Penn, Charlotte Hughes, Sheila welcome Prairie Rose Chapter to were contributed by our members Franklin, Bill Hall, and Josephine NPSOT. Gailon Hardin presented who spent many hours propagating Keeney, who is North Central Native Texas Plants: Landscaping or rescuing native plants from Chapter’s coordinator of plant Region by Region to the new presi- their property. Our contributors sales. dent. Dawn Hancock brought were Gailon Hardin, Josephine Dawn Hancock provided caf- many back issues of “NPSOT Keeney, Merita Knapp, Dagmar feine and glucose jolts to the News” to be distributed to the Higgins, Martha Mullens, and salespersons by bringing coffee charter members. Char McMorrow Patti Maness. and kolaches. was the intrepid driver and navi- Other members worked the North Central Chapter realized gator, taking us to Glen Rose by sale by directing buyers to plants a net profit of $1263.75 to be used the Old Granbury Highway. We to fill their landscape require- in the chapter’s outreach efforts. were delighted to see that Prairie ments telling each buyer about Two examples among many en- Rose had a large gathering of the needs of the plants and how to deavors that North Central Chap- charter members and potential use them in their own landscapes. ter supports are providing a $100 members at this meeting. Those worthy members were award at the local regional science North Central Chapter had its Frank Keeney, Nancy Price, Patti fair and being a sponsor of Friends spring plant sale in conjunction Maness, Gailon Hardin, Merita of Tandy Hills Natural Area.

The North Central Chapter Welcomes New Members! Gus Guthrie, Lauren Labar, Carolyn Lombard, Jackie Peel, Debra Rosenthal, and Diana Vincenti

Prairie to the People Dawn Hancock

Do you like music? Do you like You just show up and have fun. We were being serenaded the beer? Do you enjoy the sight of Kids have special hikes and whole time by live bands. Kids prairie flowers in bloom? So where events especially for them. Par- were playing, dogs were barking were you during Prairie Fest? ents and lovers can hike the and sniffing, Frisbees were flying, Everyone knows what Prairie prairie with Master Naturalists and people were hiking the prai- Fest is…right? No? Well, it is the leading the way. North Central rie. It just doesn’t get any better premier event of the spring sea- Chapter was there, giving out the than this, so put this event on son for Tandy Hills Natural Area recommended native plant list for your bucket list for next year. and everyone in Fort Worth and this area and also an article on surrounding areas is invited free. the wild invasive cabbage. 4 NPSOT News June 2013

Native Plants Vs Invasive Lookalikes Troy Mullens

Western Soapberry vs. Chinaberry

Some invasive plants are difficult Once you have determined As you can see, the Chinab- to distinguish from our native that you have the full leaf in hand, erry leaf is much more complex. flora. However, there are usually a the battle is won. The fruits, An interesting excerpt From few easily recognized distinguish- depending on growing conditions, the April, 1960 issue of Texas ing characteristics to help us in may look quite similar. In winter Parks and Wildlife magazine: our investigations. you may have to look under the “Robin Redbreast is a drunkard in Why care? Non-native or tree to find a leaf. the winter. It’s the chinaberry invasive plants have the potential The native Western soapberry tree that proved his downfall. It to not only compete, but to do (Sapindus saponaria var. seems that Mr. Robin (and Mrs. serious damage to our native plant drummondii) has a once-pinnately Robin, too) don’t realize the communities and upset the compound leaf with up to 18 potency of chinaberries after they delicately balanced ecosystems. leaflets. ferment in the warm Texas sun- This first in a series of con- The exotic invasive China- shine. Areas where the berry tinuing articles will focus on two berry (Melia azederach) has a trees grow have become regular very close lookalikes. Western bi-pinnately compound leaf. In robin ‘bars’ where dozens of intoxi- Soapberry vs. Chinaberry. simple terms, it is a compound- cated robins can be seen stagger- compound leaf. ing and flopping about.”

Thank You Dawn Hancock

These members gave their time for North Central Texas to stu- learned which native plants were fulfilling NPSOT’s mission state- dents and faculty. would work for them, they could ment by educating the public at Jim and Patti Maness, Bill Hall, immediately buy the plant. the April events: Frank and Josephine Keeney, and Thank you to Hester Gailon Hardin and Hester Nancy and Rick Price educated Schwarzer for providing the canopy Schwarzer volunteered at UTA’ s families at Prairie Fest at Tandy and to Jim and Patti Maness for Earth Day celebration, Celebrating Hills Natural Area, and Gailon table and chairs. Thanks to Gailon Planet and People. They handed Hardin sold native plants at the for providing our volunteers with out our list of recommended plants same event. As soon as attendees water to quench their thirst. June 2013 NPSOT News 5

Next Meeting Thursday, June 6 7:00 pm Fort Worth Botanic Gardens

Josephine & Frank Keeney From Lawns to Native Plant Gardens

Visit us on the Web at www.txnativeplants.org

Join the Native Plant Society of Texas! Become a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. Membership is open to any The North Central Texas individual, family, or organization. Membership is renewable annually and extends for a year from the date we receive your original payment. If you wish to join, NPSOT News please indicate your category of membership, then clip and mail this application with the appropriate remittance to: is a monthly publication of Native Plant Society of Texas the North Central Chapter of PO Box 3017, Fredricksburg, TX 78624 the Native Plant Society of 830-997-9272 Texas.

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The deadline for submitting Name: articles for inclusion in the newsletter is the 15th of Address: every preceding month. City, State, Zip: County: John Darling, Editor Phone: 817-274-1077 [email protected] Chapter Affiliation: North Central Chapter e-mail: