NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS N e w s Native Plant Society of Texas, North Central Chapter P Newsletter S Vol 31, Number 4, April 2019 O ncc npsot newsletter logo newsletter ncc npsot © 2018 Troy & Martha Mullens & Martha © 2018 Troy Purple Coneflower — Echinacea sp. T

April 4, 2019 Program April Meeting “Monarch Stewardship in Parker County” Program by Megan Davis McConnell by Megan Davis McConnell Normal Meeting Times: 6:00 Social, 6:30 Business 7:00 Program

Lecture Hall Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Chapter of the Year (2016/17) Visit us at ncnpsot.org & Program details on Page 33 www.txnativeplants.org Index Chapter Leaders President’s Corner by Karen Harden ...... p. 3f Crazy Plant Ladies through the ages President — Karen Harden by Martha Mullens ...... p. 5ff [email protected] Flower of the Month, Bluebonnet Past President — Kim Conrow by Josephine Keeney ...... p. 8f Vice President & Programs — Activities & Volunteering for February 2019 Ray Conrow by Martha Mullens ...... p. 10ff Mullein by Martha Mullens ...... p. 13ff Recording Secretary — Debbie Stilson Stork's bill by Troy Mullens ...... p. 16 Treasurer — Vanessa Wojtas Membership by Donna Honkomp ...... p. 17 Hospitality Chair — Corinna Benson 2019 - Area Native Plant Sales ...... p. 17 Membership Chair — Donna Honkomp Bluebonnet, NICE! Plant of the Season Events Chair — Chairperson needed by Dr. Becca Dickstein ...... p. 18 NICE! Coordinator — Rozanna Francis Answer to last month’s puzzle and a new puzzle ...... p. 19 Plant Sales Coordinators - Gailon Hardin, “April Calendar” Page by Troy Mullens ...... p. 20 Feb. Meeting Minutes by Debbie Stilson ...... p. 21f Sandy Fountain & Josephine Keeney Prairie Notes 147 by Don Young ...... p. 23 Education Chair — Bill Freiheit Chisholm Trail Community Park Webmaster — Frank Keeney By Donna Honkomp ...... p. 24 Field Trips — Eric Johnson March Program by Ray Conrow ...... p. 25 Speaker’s Bureau — Theresa Thomas Hospitality Report by Corinna Benson ...... p. 25 Outreach Chair — Laura Penn Demonstration Gardens Parliamentarian — Martha Mullens by Gailon Hardin w/ Josephine Kinney ...... p. 26 April Program Summary & Bio ...... p. 33 Facebook Manager — Sandra Fountain American Women Botanists: Newsletter Editor — Troy Mullens by Martha Mullens ...... p. 34f [email protected] Mary Motz Wills by Martha Mullens ...... p. 36f Assistant Newsletter Editor — Field Trips by Eric Johnson ...... p. 36 Martha Mullens Ohio Spiderwort by Suzette Rogers ...... p. 37f Southwest Subcourthouse Garden Leaders American Beautyberry by Karan Rawlins ...... p. 39f Gailon Hardin & Dawn Hancock Parting Shots by the Editors ...... p. 41f NC Texas Pollinator Garden Plants ...... p. 44 Native Plant Gardens at the Southwest Join NPSOT, Mission Statement, May Program ...... p. 45 Regional Library Leaders — Theresa Thomas & Char McMorrow Molly Hollar Wildscape Garden Leader — Ann Knudsen Fielder House Garden Leaders — News Flash ******************** Josephine Keeney & Jane Osterhuis Publicity Chair — Vicki Gleason Membership price NLCP Classes Coordinator — increases April 1. Merita Knapp & Martha Mullens Troy ©2017 Meeting in the Lecture Hall The President’s Corner - April 2019 - by Karen Harden

Sometimes, it seems, life gets in the way of life. waste your money buying rice hulls. There are a On one side, life, this past month has been cra- few native seed companies that offer true Texas zy with work, family, friends, spring break, and native seeds. Google Texas native seed compa- chapter business. On the other, my nature life, nies to see what is out there. If you are interested which is to spend time in my little pocket prairie, in live plants, there are many plant sales com- seems to have been put on the back burner. Al- ing up. Check out our website for a listing of though I enjoyed every minute of life, well, most area sales. Our Chapter’s plant sale is May 4 at of it, I find I myself yearning to get back to nature the River Legacy Park Elm Grove Pavilion in Ar- to restore my soul. I need a good dose of it. I had lington. Come early! We have grown into a very plans for this winter to begin creating native plant popular plant sale. There is usually a line waiting gardens my yard. But, alas, I am behind the curve when we open at 10:00 a.m. Many volunteers ball again this year. So, it is my little plot of land will be on hand to help you with your selections. that I will enjoy with it’s bluebonnets, mallows, We even have wagons to help haul your bounty paintbrushes, prairie verbena, and antelope milk- to your vehicle. weeds for my spring viewing pleasure. I’ll even Another event that is happening April 26-29 is share a few pictures with you. the 3rd annual iNaturalist City Nature Challenge. During a 4-day bioblitz, competing cities and their citizens snap pictures of plants and wildlife, and even evidence of Wildlife. Then they upload their pictures to the iNaturalist App. It is a fun way to get out, observe nature and compete with other cities while helping scientists, experts, and other naturalists across the globe. For more in- formation visit iNaturalist.org. From here you can download the app from the AppStore or Google Play. Once you have the app, start shar- ing your observations.

I cannot offer much advice for your gardens, ex- cept that if you are planning to create native gar- dens, know your plant needs, i.e. soil preference, Gardens are not made by light requirements, water needs. If you buy seeds, singing “Oh, how beau- be sure to read the mixture. Just like food prod- tiful” and sitting in the ucts, the first listing is the most prevalent. Buying seeds from “box” stores, the first seed in the pack- shade. et may be African daisies. Folks, we live in Texas. Rudyard Kipling We do not need African daisies in our landscapes. Also, be aware of fillers such as rice hulls. Don’t Presidents Corner More Photos on Page 4 Continued on Page 4

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 3 The President’s Corner - April 2019 - by Karen Harden Continued from Page 3

Bluebonnets

Jewel beetle

Carolina phlox

Paint brush

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 4 Crazy Plant Ladies Through the Ages - by Martha Mullens Women Naturalists, Botanists, & Horticulturists Who Made History by Stephanie Rose This is not a book review, but rather a review of since that was an accepted pastime for women. an article from a blog on-line. I will only write a Later she began more careful studies of living shortened version about two of them. It will be subjects, especially insects. worth your time to read all of it. The text will edu- cate you, the artwork is spectacular, and the pho- Her precise drawings of carefully detailed insects tos interesting. The article is about seven women look more like the work of a naturalist than an who have shaped the study of botany because of amateur artist. Starting in 1675 she published the their enthusiastic love for plants and nature. Don’t first volume of what would become a three-vol- feel bad if you haven’t heard of most of them. I ume series of beautiful botanical illustrations didn't know about four of called Neues Blumenbuch them. Three are not Ameri- (The New Book of Flowers). can and none are Texan, but Each volume contained 12 their stories are fascinating plates which she hand col- and inspiring. ored on vellum using water- colors and gouache because Until perhaps the 20th cen- women were not allowed to tury women were excluded paint in oil. from the scientific studies of plants. It was acceptable for Marian shifted her focus women to collect, record, from the plants with in- and draw natural objects, sects on them, to the insects but this was deemed a hob- themselves. In her time, in- by. The painting of plants or sects were considered in- animals was qualified as art, consequential and not wor- no matter how accurate and thy of scientific inquiry. detailed the drawing. There were many common Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) misconceptions about the However, such women as Maria Sibylla Merian metamorphosis of insects. Her painstaking stud- (1647-1717) opened the door to the studies of ies shed new insight into their life cycles. Over the natural world by women. Because Merian was her lifetime, she collected and observed the life born in Prague and lived most of her life in Am- cycles of 186 different insect species. sterdam, you probably have never heard of her. In 1679, she published The Caterpillars’ Mar- During her lifetime, she was a respected artist velous Transformation and Strange Floral Food, of plants and insects. At first, she copied some which was a detailed study of the metamorphosis drawings of flowers from other famous artists of butterflies. She was the first person to careful- of her time because the primary reason for her ly observe the eating behavior of caterpillars and artwork was to serve as patterns for embroidery discovered which food plants were necessary for Continued on Page 6

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 5 Crazy Plant Ladies Through the Ages - by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 5 which species of butterfly. Her work went on to to produce photograms. A photogram is a photo- influence many male scientists, including Carl graphic image made by placing an object directly Linnaeus (responsible for the binary system of on photosensitive paper and exposing it to light. naming plants and animals by genus and species) No camera is involved. I used to do this as a child and Charles Darwin. myself. It is as much fun watching it develop as a Polaroid photo. There are many more entries about this fascinat- ing woman that you can look up on Google. Many Anna’s father and husband were friends with Wil- of her paintings can be seen in the Wikipedia ar- liam Talbot who introduced her to photography ticle about her. You can also purchase reprints of (photograms and calotype). A calotype uses pa- her books and paintings on-line and at amazon. per coated with silver iodide (similar to photo- com. If you are concerned about how authentic graphic film). By 1841 she gained access to an ac- the drawings look, do some re- tual camera. search before buying because some of these reprints are not In 1842, another friend of her true to the original colors as father and husband, Sir John she published them. There are Herschel invented the cyano- also books about her life and type photographic process. art available at amazon.com Atkins applied the process to and on eBay. seaweed and produced pho- tograms. She published these Another female botanist that in the first volume of Photo- is virtually unknown to Amer- graphs of British Algae: Cya- icans is Anna Children Atkins notype Impressions in 1843. (1799-1871) who was born in This is considered the first England. Her claim to fame book illustrated with photo- is that she is the first person graphs. Two more volumes to publish a book illustrated followed before 1853, making with photographic images. She total of 411 plates in the three may also be the first woman to Merian - Metamorphosis books. create a photograph. She produced at least three presentation albums Because her mother died soon after she was born, of cyanotype photograms on ferns, and flowering she became close to her father from whom she re- plants between 1853 and 1861. She also published ceived an unusual scientific education. Her father several other books of mysteries, on fashion and a translated and published in 1823 Lamarck’s Gen- non-fiction biography of her father. era of Shells, and Anna made detailed engravings to illustrate it. Another outstanding achievement for a woman of her time, she was elected to the London Botan- In 1825, she married John P. Atkins. Because she ical Society in 1839. had no children, she pursued her hobby of col- Continued on Page 7 lecting and preserving plants. She later used these

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 6 Crazy Plant Ladies Through the Ages - by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 6

Look her up on Google and see her interesting cyanotypes of plants. Publications of hers that have survived are mostly in museums, and those for sale go for thousands of dollars. Individual prints can be purchased for $10-$100 online. Most less expensive ones use a black background instead of the original blue.

Other female plant ladies discussed on the blog are: Emily Dickinson, which I profiled in the Feb- ruary 2019 newsletter as a Constant Gardener and sometimes Poet, Max’diwiac (the Buffalo Bird Woman from North Dakota), Elizabeth Britton (who with her husband established the New York Botanical Garden), Beatrix Potter (author of chil- dren’s stories and collector and illustrator of plant life and mushrooms), and Marjory Stoneman Douglas (who worked tirelessly to preserve the Florida Everglades throughout her 108 years of life, publishing her most famous book, The Ever- glades: River of Grass which initiated its preser- Anna Atkins - algae cyanotype vation as a national park).

Find biographies of these “Crazy Plant Ladies” on the blog: "garden therapy". They are fascinat- ing and inspiring. For further study use Google to look up more information on each of these. If you are really interested, there are books avail- able about these ladies that can be purchased at amazon.com or on eBay.

Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton Co-founded the New York Botanic Garden

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 7 Texas Bluebonnet — Flower of the Month for April Story & Photographs by Josephine Keeney

Texas Bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Mothers with their children, as well as glamour girls, engaged couples and brides come to have their picture taken surrounded by a blanket of blooms. These classic Texas photographs bring beautiful memories to last a lifetime.

People who have never seen a bluebonnet are This beautiful annual herb of astounded at it's beauty, and artists compete to capture the Fabaceae family is the most the beauty of a field full of bluebonnets surrounded by mighty oaks. It's fame is well deserved, for in April and recognized Texas native wild- into May, it blankets fields and roadways in gorgeous flower. J. K. shades of blue.

The Sandyland Bluebonnet, Lupinus subcarnosus became the Texas State Flower in 1901, and in 1971 the State Legislature made all other bluebonnets the State Flower.

Four additional species were included in 1971: The following are also Texas Bluebonnets: Texas Bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis Big Bend Bluebonnet, Lupinus havardi Orcutt's Lupine, Lupinus concinnus ssp. orcuttii ( Endemic to Texas) Sundial Lupine, Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis Dune Bluebonnet, Lupinus plattensis Bajada Bluebonnet, Lupinus concinnus

More Photographs on Page 9

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 8 Flower of the Month for April - Bluebonnet Photographs by Josephine Keeney Continued from Page 8

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 9 April 2019 Activities - by Martha Mullens BRIT Registration Required. Fees: $20 members, $25 non-members: Saturdays: 1-4 PM April 6 Wildflower Hand Embroidery April 13 Wildflowers in Fabric May 4 Bees: Producers and Pollinators ———————————— Free Seminars: First Tuesday of month. 12-1 PM April 2 Lip Ferns: Genome Dynamics April 9 Lichens: Symbioses Wanting Your Attention ———————————— Sat., May 4 10 AM-12 PM Hypertufa (making porous pot for plants) held at FWBG $40 members/$45 for non-members Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge fwnaturecenter.org. $5 Fee Non-members, Members Free: Weekends: 10 AM-Noon Nature Hikes April 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 Wednesdays: 10 AM-Noon Walk with Naturalist April 3, 10, 17, 24 Sat., April 6 1:30-3 PM Emerging Insects Sat., April 13 1:30-2:30 PM Bird adaptations Sun., April 14 1:30-2:30 PM All about Owls Sat., April 20 1:30-3:00 PM Legends of Spring Wildflowers Sun., April 28 1:30-3 PM Nature Scavenger Hunt ______Sun., April 7, 14, 28 May 5 In the Field with Reptiles/Amphibians $75/ $50 members

Native Prairies Association of Texas Fort Worth Chapter Northwest Campus TCC, Fort Worth Room WACB 1123 Mon., April 8 6:30 PM Chisholm Trail: Ft Worth’s Prairie History Doug Harman

Field Trips: Sat., April 20 Hike Penitentiary Hollow (Lake Mineral Wells SP) with Jeff Quayle

Tarrant County Master Gardener Association Thurs., April 4 10 AM Monthly Meeting

Southwest Nature Preserve 5201 Bowman Springs Rd, Arlington Tues., May 21 7 PM Prairie Restorations and Pollinator Gardens

North Central Chapter of Native Plant Society of Texas General Meeting April 4 "Monarch Stewardship in Parker County” by Megan Davis McConnell Board Meeting April 23 6:30 PM FWBG Field Trips See page 36 Volunteer Opportunities Cont. on Page 11

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 10 April 2019 Volunteer* Opportunities - by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 10

Volunteer* at our Demonstration Gardens

Fielder House Butterfly Garden 1616 W Abram St, Arlington Leaders: Josephine Keeney, Jane Osterhuis, Charlie Amos 2nd & 4th Mondays 9-12 April 8, 22

Molly Hollar Wildscape Veterans Park, Arlington Leader: Ann Knudsen (Josephine Keeney) 1st Sat: April 6 Every Wed.: 3, 10, 17, 24 9 AM-noon

Knapp Heritage Park Pollinator Garden 201 West Front Street, Arlington First Monday: April 1 9 AM-noon (contact Josephine Keeney)

River Legacy Park 701 NW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington Volunteer Manager: Sherrie Ripple 3rd Monday: April 15 9 AM-noon (contact Josephine Keeney) Opportunities on website: riverlegacy.org or call 817-860-6752 ext. 109 or [email protected] 817-459-5474

OS Gray Natural Area 2nd Saturday: April 13 9 AM-noon (contact Josephine Keeney)

Native Plant Gardens at SW Regional Library at Hulen 8 AM-noon 4001 Library Lane, Fort Worth Leaders: Theresa Thomas, Char McMorrow 2nd & 4th Thursdays: April 11, 18

SW Tarrant Co. Sub Courthouse Native Plant Gardens 11:00AM-2:00 PM 6551 Granbury Rd, Fort Worth Leaders: Gailon Hardin, Dawn Hancock 2nd Sat.: April 13 last Wed.: April 24

Volunteer at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge 9601 Fossil Ridge Rd, Fort Worth 76135 Volunteer Coordinator: Laura Veloz fwnc.org 817-392-7410 Volunteer Positions: Docent, Outdoor Conservationist (Natural Guard). Restoration Greenhouse, Visitor Center Host, Special Events, Animal Care

Volunteer at White Settlement Monarch Waystation Leaders: Sandy Fountain, Merita Knapp 3rd Sat. April 20

Volunteer for Native Prairies Association Sat., April 13 Riesel Prairie 10 AM-3 PM see website for details, lunch is provided fortworthnpat.wordpress.com Volunteer Needs Cont. on Page 12

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 11 April 2019 Volunteer* Opportunities - by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 11

Volunteer at BRIT 1700 University Dr, Fort Worth 76107 Director of Volunteers: [email protected] Herbarium [email protected] Education [email protected] Library [email protected]

Current BRIT Volunteer Needs:

April 13, 14 Japanese Spring Festival various shifts Please sign up online http://www.brit.org/grow-volunteer-calendar by clicking on the date you are avail- able or email Julie at [email protected].

Chisolm Trail Community Park

Sun., April 28 2-5 PM Need volunteers to man the NCCNPSOT table

Volunteer for NCC NPSOT

Sat., April 6 10Am-2PM Earth Day@River Legacy Park Sat.,& Sun., April 13-14 8AM-5PM Flowercade@Fort Worth Botanic Garden Wed., April 17 10:30AM-1PM Celebrating People & Planet@UTA, Arlington

April 26-29 iNaturalist City Challenge (TPWD, Audubon, Master Naturalists, NPSOT)

* Note: Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners can get volunteer hours for work performed.

Also blooming now Texas Yellow Star Linheimera texana © 2019 Troy Mullens

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 12 Mullein by Martha Mullens

Medicinal Benefits of Common Mullein Verbascum thapsus

This plant does not have showy flowers and would probably be classified by most people as a bothersome weed, especially by farmers. It is not aggressive, but it does host insect vectors of crop diseases. It is too large for the average flower garden because it stands 4-6 feet tall (mostly the flower spike) with a basal leaf spread up to 1 ½ feet across. However, the leaves can form a mulch which repels slugs. So why am I spend- ing time discussing an alien plant? Well it possesses several interesting properties which make it useful to humans and hummingbirds.

Before I delve into the medicinal properties of mullein and how hummingbirds use it, I feel I must defend its “nativeness” because I can hear the purists out there asking why I would spend my time on a “non-native” plant. It is not indigenous to North America, but was introduced by settlers from Europe and Asia possibly 200 or more years ago and has become widespread across Texas. I don’t want to debate what “native” means. Laura Penn did an excellent job of discuss- ing the meaning of native plant in the January 2019 issue of our newsletter. I simply want to put forth a different point of view. Obviously, any mullein plant that we see today did not just arrive from overseas. Its ancestors of many generations ago came here to live. If we put that in terms of humans, most of us did not For people that are just beginning to learn which just arrive from another country to take up residence plants are native, they also need to learn which are here in Texas. Our ancestors came here. Yet if we were not. born in Texas, we consider ourselves “native” Texans. So if the mullein plant we see today was “born” here, Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is also called is it a “native Texan”? Just think about it. flannel leaf, Jupiter’s staff, velvet dock, lamb’s ear, wild tobacco, Aaron’s rod, Jacob’s staff, blanket weed, Until I did research for this article, I thought it was candlewick, feltwort, mullein-dock, shepherd’s club, native because I have seen it in pastures, along road- torchwort, lungwort and some 40 others. It has been sides, and in vacant lots all my life, as well as the cot- referred to as cowboy’s toilet paper. Interestingly, the ton fields of my childhood farm. This brings up an- seeds have been known to germinate after 100 years other reason for discussing this plant: education. or longer. It has no fodder value for deer, game or Continued on Page 14

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 13 Mullein by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 13 song birds, but hummingbirds collect the tiny hairs aphragm that is restricting the capacity of my lungs. from the leaves to line their nests. How cool is that? The doctor had prescribed an inhaler that is used by COPD sufferers for temporary relief until I can have Through the centuries many human cultures have surgery to correct it. After checking out numerous used its parts for diverse reasons. The Romans dipped products containing mullein and rejecting many the stalks in suet to form large candles carried in pro- which contained substances that I am allergic to, such cessions. The ancient Greeks soaked the leaves in oil as eucalyptus and cinnamon, I found one that was for use as lamp wicks. The Spaniards sprinkled the pure dried mullein leaves. I ordered it because it had a powdered seeds and roots on the water to catch fish. lot of good reviews. It provides just about as much re- The dried leaves and flowers have been use as a sub- lief as my inhaler, and I feel better about using a more stitute for tobacco. Other non-medicinal uses include natural remedy. It does taste like a weed, but with the a homemade cosmetic called “Quaker rouge”. When addition of a little honey and lemon, it is ok. I am not the leaves are rubbed on the cheeks, it creates derma- a doctor, and I don’t make any claims other than my titis and a red glow. Caution would therefore be ad- own experience. vised to us it as toilet paper. I feel that I would be remiss if I did not mention its So why was the plant brought to our continent by our relative, moth mullein, Verbascum blattaia. It also is a ancestors? Other plants could be used as candles and large plant up to 6 feet tall with a huge tap root. Moth substitutes for tobacco. It was because of its medicinal mullein is also an introduced plant from Europe value. Colonists brought the plants here sometime in which was brought here for an entirely different rea- the 17th century, but mullein leaves have been used son. The flowers are beautiful and it makes an excel- since Hippocrates to treat colds, congestion, coughs, lent plant for the late-evening garden because it opens and bronchial and lung disorders. Smoked in pipes at night and attracts moths. It allegedly drives away its hot vapors were inhaled for throat irritation. The cockroaches, but I haven’t tried that. Otherwise, it is leaves were soaked in hot vinegar and water to form a an obnoxious weed in the sense that it is aggressive poultice applied to external irritations. In Mexico the and has no food value for deer or livestock. I could dried leaves were smoked to teat asthma. Notice that find no evidence of importance to birds. the leaves have been used to treat various respiratory ailments. Supposedly it was also used to treat leprosy. Both species bloom from Spring to Autumn and re- quire a lot of room to grow so they are not recom- This is why I want to share the lore of the plant with mended for gardens even though they are drought you because it directly concerns me. Troy and I at- resistant. Other members of the family are the love- tended a Master Naturalist meeting in January of this ly foxgloves, Indian paintbrushes, and penstemons year. The topic was “Edible Weeds and Medicinal which are delightful additions to any wildflower gar- Herbs” by Stephonie Roberts. den.

The presentation was especially interesting to me be- cause she mentioned that mullein has been used to treat respiratory ailments. I talked to her about it and went home and started a google search on the benefits of mullein. My interest was piqued by the fact that I had been having shortness of breath for a couple of months and was just diagnosed with a herniated di- Continued on Page 15

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 14 Mullein by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 14

Sources: Ajilvsgi, Geyata, Wildflowers of Texas, Shearer Pub., Fredericksburg, TX, 2003 Curry, Mary, North Central Texas Wildflowers, self-published, Decatur, TX, 2015 Eastman, John, The Book of Field and Roadside, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2003 Eastman, John, Wildflowers of the Eastern United States, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2014 Linex, Ricky, Range Plants of N. Central Texas, NRCS, Weatherford, TX, 2015 Shinner and Mahler’s, Illustrated Flora of North Cen- tral Texas, BRIT and Austin College, 1999

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Henry David Thoreau

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 15 Stork's bill - Erodium texanum by Troy Mullens

New buds open at night and close during the day. The petals are very fragile and after a night in the wind they usually are pretty beat up. Do not confuse this with E. cicutarium (red-stem filaree), which is a smaller and more compact flower. Get out your field guides and study the differences.

New E. texanum bud

Erodium texanum leaf

Texas Storkbill Erodium texanum

Erodium texanum 2nd day

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 16 Membership by Donna Honkomp

To join the North Central Chapter NPSOT click exchange phone numbers in case the individual on the link, www.txnativeplants.org; then click on has further questions once they leave for the eve- “About”, then click on “How to Join”. ning. If you can be available at the general meet- ings to take such an individual under your wing, MENTOR PROGRAM please let Donna or Chris know (at the member- ship table) when you arrive at the meeting that Do you like to meet new people? Do you enjoy you are available to act as a mentor that evening. discussions with like-minded individuals? We need your help welcoming and orienting new It can be difficult to join a new group when you members and visitors at our monthly meetings. do not know anyone, even when you have com- mon interests. We do not want to leave anyone The North Central Chapter is organizing a “Men- out and for that reason we need volunteers to step tor Program” and needs your help. If you are a up and reach out to our new guests. member of the NCC-NPSOT and able to show up 30 minutes (or so) before each NCC-NPSOT Our current membership as of March 15, 2019 is General Meeting to mentor our newly joined 224 members. members and visitors once they show up to our meetings, we would appreciate your assistance. THANK YOU to everyone for your participation, We need your help to answer any questions the volunteer and involvement in our chapter. We ap- participant may have regarding the chapter infor- preciate you helping to spread the word about native mation, introduce them to other members at the plants. It takes a village and we could not do it with- meeting, explain what takes place at our meetings, out all of your help. what programs they could get involved in and

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 17 NICE! Plant of the Season Reported by Rozanna Francis

Texas Bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis: State Flower of Texas

Description: Texas Bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis, is a low-growing Texas icon. It is one of five Bluebonnets recognized as the Texas State Flower; the other four are L. subcarnosus, L. havardii, L. concinnus and L. plattensis. The five lupine species grow in different areas of Texas, with L. texensis predominating in Central and North Texas. In spring, blooming L. texensis is a common sight along roadsides and fields and is increasingly cultivated in sunny front yards. It is the easiest of the species to cultivate, usually growing up to 18 inches tall and equally wide, with flowers held higher. It has oblong palmate light-green compound leaves, usually with five leaflets. Healthy plants have a tap root and as legumes, bluebonnets are capable of forming symbiotic nitrogen-fixing root nodules with soil bacteria called rhizobia, allowing them to enrich the soil with nitrogen.

Flowers and Seeds: Bluebonnets usually bloom from early March to mid-April or later depending on spring temperatures. The flowers are held on a 7-12 inch stalk, with deep bright blue flowers at the bottom to white on the top. All-white, pink and maroon cultivars are available. After the flowers fade, seeds form. Because it is an annual, the flat 1/8 inch seeds must fully mature in the pod and fall to the ground to assure Texas Bluebonnet, Photo a display next year without re-planting. courtesy of Marilyn Blanton Planting sites: Texas Bluebonnets should be planted in full sun, at least 8-10 hours a day. They prefer well-drained soils and are drought tolerant. Watering Instructions: Texas Bluebonnet seed may be watered after planting. The plant is drought tolerant and will survive during long dry spells. It will rot if over-watered.

Comments: In Texas, flowering bluebonnets let us know spring has arrived. Texas Bluebonnet is a winter-hardy annual and may be transplanted into a sunny location, ideally in fall. To establish bluebonnets from seed, start in summer or early fall. Scarify the seed by rubbing with sandpaper, then rake or press the seeds into the soil, barely cover them with soil and water once. If available, rhizobial inoculant should be applied to establish the nitrogen-fixing root nodules that help bluebonnets grow. Frequently, rhizobia are already in the soil. Bluebonnets are beautiful in large drifts or grown in well- drained containers. They are frequently inter-planted with summer- or fall-flowering plants that emerge as the bluebonnets are setting seed and senescing. These include zexmenia (Wedelia texana), mealy blue sage (Salvia farinacea), and lantana (Lantana urticoides). Bluebonnets provide nectar for bees and are the larval host for the hairstreak and elfin butterflies. Use caution because bluebonnets, especially the seed, can be toxic if ingested.

Look for the NICE! Plant of the Season signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating North Texas nursery. Thank you for using native plants in your landscapes.

www.txnativeplants.org Written by Dr. Becca Dickstein

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 18 Answer to Last Month’s Puzzle and A New Puzzle by Troy Mullens © 2019

New Puzzle An easy one this month. Name this flower

Note this flower is bilaterally symmetrical. (What does that mean)

How many other bilaterally symmetrical flowers do you know> Name 5. Think before you Google.

There may be some others in this newsletter.

Answer to Last Months' Puzzle

Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis "swashbuckling movie"

The vote is 'not in' on whether the blue one is a separate species or a sub-species or a form.

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 19 Texas Redbud © 2019 Troy Mullens Redbud A sheltering umbrella of blooms red and pink — Nature's home for a butterfly — Henry's elfin gone in a blink. ©2019 Martha Mullens

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 20 General Meeting Minutes - by Debbie Stilson Minutes of the Regular Meeting Native Plant Society – North Central Chapter March 7, 2019 Fort Worth Botanical Garden, BRIT, Commons Room

President Karen Harden called the meeting to order Plant Sale: Josephine Keeney and Gailon Hardin at 6:31 PM. She said we are a 501c3 organization and said the plant sale would be on Saturday, May 4th at read the mission statement. She said the blue board River Legacy. Plants need to be potted by March 23, had information and to see Vanessa for raffle tickets. 6 weeks before the sale, so that they can have decent Donna Honkomp welcomed the guests. roots. They passed around lists to volunteer to grow plants and to help at the sale. Josephine gave away Big Secretary: Minutes were approved from the Febru- Gulp cups as quart containers, but they do need holes ary 7 meeting. drilled in the bottom. She has plenty, so ask her if you need some. Potting soil mixture directions and flyers Treasurer’s Report: Vanessa Wojtas reports the for the sale were available. following: Income: $417, Spent: $1,812, Net Profit: -$1,395; Bank balance on 03/07/19: $10,543.79 Demonstration Gardens: Gailon Hardin thanked the leaders who provided pictures of the chilly garden Vice President: Ray Conrow said Carol Clark would volunteers from February. Several volunteers belong share "News from the Front" in regard to monarch to other organizations such as Master Gardener, Mas- science at the April meeting. He introduced Mon- ter Naturalist and Arlington Conservation Council as tana Williams, the associate director of volunteers at well as NPSOT. Gardens shown were Fielder House, GROW, the joint effort between the Fort Worth Bo- Knapp, Molly Hollar, River Legacy, Southwest Re- tanic Gardens and BRIT. Montana encouraged people gional Library, and Southwest Sub-Courthouse. to sign up in advance if they would like to volunteer for the big workday for the Pollinator Pathway on Hospitality: Corinna Benson thanked Josephine, Tuesday April 2. You can do so at the link Ray shared Sandra, Dawn, Rozanna, Jeanette and whoever else in an email http://brit.org/grow-volunteer-application brought snacks. She also passed around the snack and then click on Get Involved -> Volunteering -> the sign-up sheet for the rest of the year. calendar -> April 2 -> General Gardening. Please email any questions to Montana at mwilliams@brit. Newsletter: Troy Mullens tinkered with the newslet- org. Tools will be provided, but bring your own gloves ter and it now has a 2-column format and wildflower and dress for the weather. The May meeting will have colors in the headers, but which flowers? And watch Montana Williams and Cameron Barlow from Fort out for the Parting Shots at the end. Worth Botanic Garden showing off the pollinator Pathway. Membership: Donna Honkomp reports that cur- rently our chapter has 223 members. There is a mem- Internal Finance Review Report: Laura Penn is bership challenge that goes through the end of March. chair of this committee that also included Rozanna Houston is first and Williamson County second. Dues Francis and Melissa Inman. They met on January 26. will go up by $10 on April 1. Even if you already re- This was not an audit committee or a finance com- newed this year, you can do so again before the rate mittee or a standing committee. Their job was to re- increase and it will be good for the next year. view financial records and confirm the North Central Chapter Bank Balance on 12/31/18. They found some Continued on Page 22 shortcomings and so came up with a list of eight recommendations,

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 21 General Meeting Minutes - by Debbie Stilson Continued from Page 21

NICE: Rozanna Francis says that Cynthia Crump Publicity: Vicki Gleason will post in the newsletter has volunteered to be a goodwill ambassador and is how to submit to Cheers and Jeers to the Fort Worth already proving to be a natural talking to people in Star Telegram about our various activities. the NICE nurseries. Rozanna found a Texas bluebon- net, the current plant of the season, at Queen Bee’s Events: We still need a chair. Sign-up sheets were Garden. She introduced Anna Hurst, owner of Eco- passed out for the next two events at the Fort Worth Blossom Online Nursery. Anna told us that she spe- Botanic Gardens: Bats in the Garden is next weekend cializes in landscaping for wildlife habitats. She enjoys and the Plant Sale is the last weekend of March. making available plants that are not widely or easily found. The website is ecoblossom.com, and they can Strategic Plan: Kim Conrow showed NPSOT contest also be found on Facebook and Instagram. You can winning photos as a backdrop to the 5 year 2019-2024 search for native plants by criteria such as sun, shade, goals and objectives. She will put info in newsletter wet, or dry. Delivery is free in the Fort Worth area on how we can submit ideas to the state. orders over $75. NPSOT members will get a 5% dis- count. When you check out, 5% of pretax sales go to a Announcements: Coming soon: information on the charity of your choice listed on the website. Landscap- iNaturalist challenge in April 26-29. The Spring Sym- ing services are available. Gailon Harden is the rep- posium will be in Austin at LBJ Wildlife Center on resentative at our other new NICE nursery: Idlewild March 23. Hester Schwarzer would like someone to Botanical, located at the old Redenta’s in Arlington. take her place at that. Check out the native plants sales on p. 17 of the March 2019 newsletter. Karan Rawlin’s Outreach: Laura Penn talked of the upcoming work- recipe to turn American Beautyberry into mosquito day at Stella Rowan Prairie to help with soil retention repellent is on our website. Ann Knudsen very much in the riparian area. Privet aid (bundles of already cut needs volunteers on the mornings of Friday March 22 privet) will be put out and American Germander will and 29 for the Molly Hollar Walk on the Wild Side. be planted. Also, two more volunteers are needed to Meeting adjourned at 7:15 P.M. help with the UTA landscaping contest. Program by Dr. Denis Benjamin: Ethnomycology.

Some great "blooming now" photos - by Kim Conrow

Easter Daisy (Townsendia exscapa) Ground Plum (Astragalus crassicarpus)

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 22 Tandy Hills Prairie Notes 147 - by Don Young

Click on the link below to see the full issue of Prairie Notes 147 https://www.tandyhills.org/notes The Sensuous Prairie Great photos in this issue.

Prairie Notes are monthly photo/journal observations from Tandy Hills Natural Area by Founder/Director, Don Young. They include field reports, flora and fau- na sightings, and more, mixed with a scoop of dry hu- mor and a bit of philosophy. They are available free to all who get on the FOTHNA email list:

http://www.tandyhills.org/subscribe

Purple Paintbrush is back

Trout Lily walk with Sam Kieschnick was a success

Ground Plum (Astragalus crassicarpus)

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 23 Chisholm Trail Community Park - by Donna Honkomp

We are looking for several people who can be available to represent the North Central Chapter – NPSOT as outreach at our 2ndAnnual event at the Chisholm Trail Community Park.

This free community event takes place on Sunday, April 28th, 2019 from 2-5pm (individual’s would need to be there by 1:30pm) at 4936 McPherson Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76123, on the Fort Worth Prairie.

If we have several individuals/volunteers to man the table each hour, then they would have time to partake in the event during the day. We had a fantastic turn out last year and expect the same for this year 2019. I will take the first respondents in order.

If you are available at this date and time, please contact [email protected]

Get to Know Chisholm Trail Spring Nature Hikes Community Park at Chisholm Trail Community Park Join a naturalist for an easy walk along paved trails to learn about Free Community Event the human history and diverse wildlife of this Sunday, April 28 precious Fort Worth Prairie remnant. 2 - 5 p.m.

Speak to a Naturalist and Discover The Fort Worth Prairie Wooded Habitat

Pond Habitat Monarchs/Pollinators Scheduled for 9:00-10:30AM on the following days: Citizen Science iNaturalist App Tues March 12th Sat March 16th Sat March 30th Sat April 13th Sat May 11th Get To Know Your Natural Surroundings **Meet your hike leader at 9:00AM inside the community center lobby.** Learn the natural and human history of the Chisholm Trail Community Park. 4936 McPherson Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76123

A hands on learning opportunity for all ages.

Nature education programs at Chisholm Trail Community Park are supported by the following organizations: • Texas Master Naturalists • Native Prairie Association of Texas • Native Plant Society of Texas • Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 24 Ethnomycology: Mushrooms and Human Culture Presented by Denis Benjamin, March 7 reported by Ray Conrow

Our featured speaker for March was Dr. Denis Benjamin, an avid mycologist who gave a pro- gram entitled “Ethnomycology: Mushrooms and Human Culture”. Where better to start than with eating! Eastern Europeans crave them, Norsemen are okay with them, the British…not so much. The ancient Ro- mans loved their mushrooms and knew their varieties well. Thus Agrippina, wishing to hasten the ascent of her son Nero, presented the Emperor Claudius (her husband) a meal of delectable Amanita caesarea mingled with deadly Amanita phalloides. Then, as now, non-experts are advised to avoid consuming the genus Amanita entirely, although the hallucinogenic fly agaric, A. muscaria, has long been sought out, even predating vodka in Russia! The “magic” or “sacred” mushroom, Psilocybe sp., likewise has its devo- tees and is a key to spiritual enlightenment in several traditional cultures. Besides food and pharmacolo- gy, mushrooms have served in many roles, from dye production to fire-starting to heavy metal scavenging and filtration of pathogenic bacteria. And then there is the recently introduced mushroom death suit, for those who truly wish to “give back” to Nature when the time comes! All in all, an entertaining and enlightening presentation from a true mycophile!

L to R: Kim Conrow, Vivien and Denis Benjamin. The colorful mushroom print is from an original watercolor by Dr. Benjamin.

March Hospitality Report by Corinna Benson This month for hospitality I would like to thank Josephine Keeney, Dawn Hancock, Sandra De Nijs, Rozan- na Francis, Jeanette Berkley and Debbie Stilson, and whoever else brought snacks. For the Board meeting this month I would like to thank my Uncle Ray Conrow, Eric Johnson and Rozanna Francis. Please stay for the draw- ing and refreshments after the meeting. Corinna Benson.

Editors note: Corinna is starting her second year as being the Hospitality chair. She does a great job. Be sure and tell her so after the meetings.

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 25 Demonstration Gardens by Gailon Hardin w/ Dawn Hancock Southwest Tarrant Co. Sub Courthouse Pale Purple Coneflower

Echinacea pallida

Brenda Townsend, Debbie Stilson

Lissa Prater

Dawn Hancock

Scouts Dominique and Hayden, Janet Shull

Gailon Hardin

Demonstration Gardens continued on next page

Jim Prentice Otto Witt April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 26 Demonstration Gardens by Gailon Hardin w/ Josephine Keeney

Knapp Heritage Garden

Jane Oosterhuis, Larry Norris,Phyl Baloga Kate Dansbury, Josephine Keeney, Jane Oosterhuis

River Legacy - February

Phyl Baloga, Kate Dansbury, Ellen Ravkind, Josephine Keeney, Anne Aldefer, Jane Oosterhuis, Jane Oosterhuis, Dick Schoeck Phyl Baloga, Kate Dansbury, Josephine Keeney, Dick Schoeck Dick Schoeck Demonstration Gardens Josephine Keeney, continued on next page

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 27 River Legacy - March

Work is progressing well and many plants were added to the front garden.

We planted: Autumn Sage, Texas Lantana, Flame Acan- thus, Yellow Bells, Red Yucca, and Pink Skullcap.

In the wildflower bed by the pond we planted: Golden Groundsel, Brazos Penstemon and Pink Evening Prim- rose.

Many more plants will be planted in April.

Charley Amos MN- NPSOT Jane Oosterhuis MN- ACC Anne Alderfer MN Ellen Ravkind MN Phyl Baloga MN Kay Dansby MN Wayne Halliburton ACC Dick Schoech MN-NPSOT -ACC Josephine Keeney MN-NPSOT ACC Charley Amos, Anne Alderfer, Ellen Ravkind

Jane Oosterhuis, Phyl Baloga, Kay Dansby, Wayne Halliburton, Anne Alderfer, Ellen Ravking.

Demonstration Gardens Dick Schoech, Josephine Keeney. continued on next page

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 28 Fielder House - March

Work continues: weeding, mulching and adding Volunteers for March compost to the beds. Charley Amos MN- NPSOT Morgan Chivers NPSOT We also set out the plant name labels. Phyl Baloga MN Kay Dansby MN Jane Oosterhuis MN Josephine Keeney MN-NPSOT- ACC

Charley Amos loading mulch

Josephine Keeney, Jane Oosterhuis and Kay Dansby

Morgan Chivers planting

Demonstration Gardens continued on next page Phyl Baloga weeding

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 29 Southwest Regional Library

Laurin McLaurin Leland Thomas Sheila Franklin & Theresa Thomas

Molly Hollar Wildscape

JoAnn Kolanko ACC Joe Martinez Rosalee Rogers Additional Molly Hollar Photos continued on next page

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 30 Molly Hollar Wildscape

Ann Kundsen

Carol Marcott

Additional Molly Hollar Photos continued on next page Jane Oosterhuis

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 31 Molly Hollar Wildscape, Spring 2019 WOW

Ann Knudsen — Volunteers in the photos: Bev Crawford, Josephine Keeney, Hester Schwarzer, Dawn Hancock and Carol Marcotte

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 32 April 4 Program Summary & Bio Monarch Stewardship in Parker County. By Megan Davis McConnell

Megan will speak on identifying monarch butterflies in your garden, creating supportive habitat and restoring prairie, monitoring and reporting your data to Monarch Lab in Minnesota, and rearing wild caterpillars for release.

Brief Biography

As a young girl, I stood as still as a statue with my arms outstretched in hopes that the butter- flies would land on me. It was a bright autumn day and hundreds of monarchs had stalled out on our family land on the edge of Eagle Mountain Lake. The migration was on and the place was covered in fluttering orange and black! I have not seen such a spectacle since, although I am always on the lookout for the miraculous occurrence which we later learned was quite a rare event in these parts. Now I manage our acreage in Parker County with special efforts to support, observe and count the monarch butterfly. I teach school children about the fragility and beauty of the species. And, I have organized our neighborhood to also support the migration by adopting “no mow “ practices on the rural roadsides and in pastures in the spring and autumn.

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 33 American Women Botanists* - by Martha Mullens

MARY MOTZ WILLS Fourth in Series on Women Botanists* Texas Women Botanists Fourth in a Series* by Martha Mullens

Mary Motz Wills, (1875–1961), wildflower artist, was born in1875, in Wytheville, Virginia, but her family soon moved to Waco, Texas, where Mary and her younger sister, Elsie, grew up. Mary influ- enced Elsie's artistic development, as Elsie herself became a well-known miniaturist. Mary acquired her art education at the Art Students League in New York. She also attended the Pennsylvania School of Industrial Arts and art schools in Bos- ton and Philadelphia.

Following her formal art education she married Col. Will Dunbar Wills of the United States Army. While with him on his tours of South and Central America, Mary first began to paint watercolors of exotic wildflowers. While stationed in Pana- ma, her husband brought wildflowers home to Mary Motz Wills Roadside Flowers of Texas Third printing 1969. his ailing young wife so that she could paint them Gift of Jimmy & Twalla Mullens 1970, while recuperating. Several years later, following to Troy & Martha Mullens her husband's death in Maryland, Wills moved to Georgia and then to Abilene, Texas, where she shown at the Montgomery Museum in Georgia; lived for the rest of her life. the Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas,Texas; the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina; Mary began painting detailed depictions of native and the American Museum of Natural History in wildflowers shortly after moving to Texas. An ac- New York City. credited botanist, Ellen Dorothy Schulz Quillin*, was first to acknowledge the significance of Wills's Forty-seven years after she first discovered the work. In 1935 Quillin arranged an exhibition of enjoyment of painting flowers, she became a rec- Wills's paintings at the Witte Museum with the ognized artist and authority on wildflowers, both annual flower show. In 1943 there was an exhibi- in Georgia and Texas. During those years, she tion of the wildflowers of the Big Bend. In 1955 produced over 2000 paintings of Texas wildflow- there was another showing of her work. In addi- ers. tion to these exhibitions, her floral portraits were Women Botanists Cont. on Page 35

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 34 American Women Botanists* - by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 34

Her paintings reflect her knowledge, as well as, her skill. She was proficient in both oil and wa- tercolor paintings and at present her originals sell for $1000-$2000 each.

The Witte Museum in San Antonio has a large collection of her work, as does the Texas Memo- rial Museum in Austin. Her paintings are also prominently included in the book, Art for Histo- ry’s Sake: The Texas Collection of the Witte Museum.

She is best remembered for her watercolor paint- ings published in Roadside Flowers of Texas** (text by Howard S. Irvin) in 1961 shortly before her death. The wildflower paintings are especially significant because many are endangered species, and some of them have completely disappeared Mullens & Martha 1971, Troy April seen Checked as Puccoon from Mary Motz Wills book from the Texas landscape. According to Ellen Schulz Quillin The book Roadside Flowers of Texas contains 257 Mary Motz Wills’ paintings give us a view of of her water colors. It is available from eBay or the puccoon in color in Roadside Flowers of amazon.com for $4-$14 depending on condition Texas (1961):” and whether you want the original 1961 edition or the 1981 reprint and whether you want a hard- cover or paperback.

*See article on Ellen Schulz Quillin in the March 2019 issue of NCNPSOT newsletter entitled Women Botanists. ** See book review in August 2018 newsletter page 12.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Cecilia Steinfeldt, Art for His- tory's Sake: The Texas Collection of the Witte Mu- seum, Austin,Texas, 1993).

Fringed puccoon Lithospermum incisum ©2018 Troy Mullens

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 35 Field Trips by Eric Johnson

We have 5 field trips planned for the spring of 2019. I hope everyone can find something here of interest.

On Saturday, April 13, 2019, we will visit the Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center, in Denton, TX. The address is 3310 Collins Road. There is a main building, the Education Center, with bathrooms and run- ning water where we will meet up at 10:00 am. The park is 2900 acres total, too much to walk every trail, but I expect we can walk to the confluence of Clear Creek and the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.

On Saturday, April 27, we will meet at Oliver Park, in Mansfield, TX. The address is 1650 Matlock Road, Mansfield. The 80 acre park borders Walnut Creek, with 2 miles of crushed granite trails. Meet up is at 10:00 am, near the parking lot and restrooms. This park is very scenic and highly recommended by our members who have been there before.

On Saturday, May 11, Laura Penn will lead a tour of Stella Rowan Prairie, located near the Tarrant County Resource Connection, 2300 Circle Drive, Fort Worth. This 125 acre prairie will be full of flowers at this time of year. Meet up is at 10:00 am, but the exact location is yet to be determined, and will be sent out by email before the event.

On Sunday, May 19, we will tour two demonstration gardens that are maintained jointly by NPSOT and the Master Gardeners Association. Meet up is 1pm at the SW SubCourtHouse, 6551 Granbury Road, in Fort Worth. This garden should be in full flower at this time of year. Next we will drive to the SW Region- al Library, located on Hulen Street at Briarhaven Road, also in Fort Worth. Note that the library is open Sunday afternoons, so there will be bathrooms and water fountain at this location.

On Saturday, May 25, will be our final spring field trip, here in Fort Worth, at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 1700 University Drive. We will walk south, through the garden, and focus on the Native Plant Garden. Meet up is at 10:00 am, at the main entrance. This is a recent installation, and well worth a visit.

We generally avoid field trips during the peak summer heat, and then we will often have one or two trips in the fall. These have not yet been planned, so feel free to make suggestions and comments.

Eric Johnson.

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 36 Ohio Spiderwort - Tradescantia ohiensis by Suzette Rogers

One of the best plants with flowers to use in teaching about nature is Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). Why is it called spiderwort? My research produced several theories. One source stated that the grass-like leaves are suggestive of a crouching spider. Geyata Ajilvsgi in Wildflowers of Texas stated that spiderwort was believed to cure the bite of the phalangium spider, which is actually harmless. Native Americans used it for the bite of a tarantula. That medicinal use is the reason "wort" is part of its common name. Wort is from the Old English "wyrt" meaning a root or herb which is applied to indicate a medici- nal application, such as for spider bites. Another source stated that when the stalk of this plant is broken, the sap that emerges forms filaments resembling a spider's web. This is the source of the common name, "cow slobber." Tradescantia is in honor of John Tradescant, gardener to Charles I in England, who started plants from seeds sent from America. Spiderwort is still cultivated in English gardens. Spiderworts are found in man-made or disturbed habitats, meadows, and fields. They are a food source for white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbits, box turtles, and livestock. Pollinators are long-tongued bees, especially Bumble- bees. This plant is rarely bothered by insect pests. The flowers open in the morning and shrivel to a fluid jelly in the heat of the day. Spiderwort is drought tolerant. The leaves and stems are edible fresh or cooked.

Elmer W. Oliver Nature Park, Mansfield, TX

A common color of Ohio spiderwort - A pollinator (syrphid fly) at work (Tradescantia ohiensis) is a beautiful purple.

A rare color of Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) A Scudders Bush Katydid nymph on a spiderwort is white. I photographed this one in south Texas on Spur 10 north of Rosenburg Continued on Next Page April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 37 Ohio Spiderwort - Tradescantia ohiensis by Suzette Rogers

Buds of Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) Common name for this species is Bluejacket.

I photographed this pink spiderwort in Kosse, TX. It is believed that the grass-like leaves of Ohio spiderwort are suggestive of a crouching spider.

Sam Kieschnick teaches about Spiderwort to a group of homeschoolers.

Ohio spiderwort makes a nice plant for a landscape.

This photo is my favorite of spiderwort. We have also seen a pink Ohio spiderwort.

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 38 American Beautyberry - Callicarpa americana by Karan Rawlins

You can get a full description and list of requirements for this beautiful and useful native shrub at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower website URL: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAAM2. It is also attractive to wildlife, both for the nectar and the fruit. A disclaimer first: Although I have used this plant extract as a topical application successfully for several years will no ill effects and I have not heard of anyone being allergic to American beautyberry or the extracts from it, it is possible that someone out there will turn out to be. So as with anything else you try for the first time, test a small area to be sure you are not allergic to it beforehand. In this article we will talk about the insect repelling properties of American beautyberry and how to easily ex- tract the essence to create your own all natural insect repellent. The active ingredients are oil or alcohol soluble. 1) Collect enough leaves to half fill your crockpot. Then clean the leaves (no chopping); shake off excess water; place them in a crock pot; add (a) 4 Cups solid coconut oil for a solid result or (b) just cover leaves with frac- tionated coconut oil for a liquid final product; and turn crockpot on to Warm (Not low). Let it steep for a few hours; remove the leaves and strain the liquid through a coffee filter to remove any remaining leaf bits. You will have a beautiful emerald green result. a) The solid coconut oil I use to make insect repelling candles or wax melts. I have used soy wax melts very successfully. The candles will be a beautiful pale green. *Or you can add bees wax and whip or blend it to make a creamy topical application. *Or add beeswax, allow it to melt in the crockpot, stir until well blended, and then turn off the heat. It will cool to a salve consistency. b) The fractionated coconut oil version gives you a topical application, to which I add some ethyl alcohol to help preserve it longer. I pour some of this mixture into a small spray bottle (fill to about one third of bottle capacity) and top up with purified water. This is easy to carry with you in case you need to reapply after swimming or heavy exercise. The beautyberry in fractionated coconut oil turns out to be a beautiful emerald green because of the chlorophyll. 2) The last method I have used is to clean the leaves and stuff them into a quart canning jar. Top up the jar with ethyl alcohol and put the lid on it. Within a couple of days it will change color and you can remove the leaves. This can be green or a greenish brown color. You will probably want to strain this before use to remove any solid leaf particles.

Additional ideas: >I generally add fill a quart jar about ¾ full of the liquid fractionated coconut oil beautyberry extract and finish filling the jar with the ethyl alcohol based extract. I feel this gives me the best range of oils and preserves it lon- ger. >If you are making a huge batch of the liquid topical application, you can store it in the freezer to preserve it longer. >I have heard of people chopping and boiling the leaves and they says that works well. I feel that using lower temperatures retains more of the essential oils in the final product. >Articles on American beautyberry: https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2006/feb/mosquito

Continued on Next Page

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 39 American Beautyberry - Callicarpa americana by Karan Rawlins

Karan Rawlins bio

I am a member of the Georgia Native Plant Society and on the board of the Coastal Plain Chapter. I am also on the board of the Georgia Botanical Society. I began learning about native plants from Suzanne Tuttle when I worked at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Wildlife Refuge. A Georgia native, I lived in Texas for 20 years and loved my time there. I still have a grandson and other family there and visit when I can.

Beautyberry Beautyberry blooms Unripe fruit

Candle experiment Candles Coconut oil

Solid coconut oil Topical application Wax melts April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 40 Parting Shots - Last Minute News & Views of the Editors by Troy & Martha Mullens

Super Worm Moon Wondering why I would be discussing the moon? Well, this one, March 20, 2019, relates to earthworms. It is “super” because it is closest to the Earth. It is called “worm” moon because typically this is when the first earthworms are seen after the cold winter. Usually the super worm moon appears on the last day of winter, but be- cause the spring equinox this year is at 4:58 PM CDT, it will be the first super moon of spring and the last one for 2019. We consider earthworms a friend of the compost pile and the garden, but did you know that most earthworms that we are familiar with are not native. Of the 180 species found in the US, 60 are invasive, brought over from the Old World. The one in our gardens, the night crawl- er, is not native to the US. Yet, how could we do without it if we are to have a healthy garden? Martha Mullens

A downloadable guide The western Monarch population is on the Brink of collapse Weed or wildflower and the eastern one is in decline. According to the Environmental Defense Fund the 2018-19 https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_ winter count for the western population of monarchs was PLANTMATERIALS/publications/mop- down to 28,000 (some counts by other groups put it as low as mcpu6313.pdf 20,000). This is serious because the estimated number to in- http://tinyurl.com/y6ywptc8 sure there isn’t a complete collapse is 30,000. Reasons for the decline are climate change, hurricanes, and loss of both host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for adults. Much of the plant loss is due to herbicides. While western populations of Monarchs have decreased about 86% in the last year, the eastern population has decreased about 15% and has shown a steady decline of 90% in the last two decades. The principal reasons for the decline are loss of milkweed for a host plant and loss of native flowers for nectar. Loss of plants is due to climate change and use of herbicides. All of you concerned gardeners keep planting those native plants for nectar and those milkweeds to serve as hosts. Al- though the vast majority of monarchs who migrate through our area go to Mexico, some may indeed fly to California. Martha Mullens Texas Blue Star blooming now April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 41 Parting Shots Page 2 - Last Minute Views & News by the Editors by Troy & Martha Mullens

Updated Programs

2019 Date Name Title of Presentation

February 7 Suzanne Tuttle Winter Deciduous Woody Plant Fort Worth Nature Center Identification (Retired)

March 7 Denis Benjamin Ethnomycology: Mushrooms and BRIT Human Culture

April 4 Megan Davis McConnell Monarch Stewardship in Parker County

May 2 Cameron Barlow, The Pollinator Pathway Project Montana Williams BRIT

June 6 Michael Eason TBA NPSOT Big Bend Chapter

August 1 Karen Harden Native Gardens of our Kim Conrow and… Members “Lucky #3”

September 5 Michelle Villafranca Native Neighborhoods: Helping Fort Worth Nature Center Pollinators across Fort Worth

October 3 Show and Tell and Trade! Native Bring a Texas Native Plant to Plant Exchange exchange for another. FUN!!!

November 7 Kevin Sloan—UTA, “Rewilding” for Environmental Landscape Architect Design

December 5 Holiday Social Pot Luck Dinner, Awards and Introduction of New Officers. FUN!!!

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 42 Parting Shots Page 3 - Last Minute Views & News by the Editors by Troy & Martha Mullens

April 12, 2019 DALLAS, TX

Texas Discovery Gardens 3601 MLK Blvd. Fair Park Gate 6 Dallas, TX 75210

Main purpose of this Workshop: As part of the National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Stewards certification program, NWF is partnering with members of the Texas Discovery Gardens and the Greater Dallas Monarch Partnership to provide the Monarch Stewards’ first level of training, the Monarch Conservation Workshop “Train the Trainer”. This workshop is a one day course on monarch biology, ecology, and conservation. You will learn the basics of monarch habitat creation and conservation and you will leave the course with the knowledge and confidence to engage diverse groups to take action on behalf of the monarch butterfly.

Main Topics Registration is required  Monarch anatomy, biology, life cycle and migration. Space is limited  Monarch threats: parasites, disease, land use, and pesticides, among others.  Milkweed ecology, nectar plants, and monarch waystations. Registration fee:  Outreach tools and materials, agencies and conservation groups involved in $65.00/person that includes: monarch conservation activities.  Citizen Science, communication skills, interpretation, and role play.  Access to digital materials to  How to recruit and structure a successful workshop/presentation create your own presentations  Printed materials For more details about the workshop and to register, please follow the link:  Box Lunch MONARCH WORKSHOP, “TRAIN THE TRAINER’”  Or go to : http://bit.ly/2EQW5Aa Refreshments

In partnership with the Greater Dallas Monarch Partnership , and:

You and I don’t know whether our vision is clear in relation to our time or not—No matter what failure or success we may have—we will not know—But we can keep our integrity—according to our own sense of balance with the world. Georgia O’Keeffe

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 43 Short List of Plants for a North Central Texas Pollinator Garden

This is meant to be a starter list only and by no means is inclusive of all the wonderful native plants that can be in a pollinator garden. Ask your local NPSOT Chapter (npsot.org) or native nursery’s staff for advice on other choices for your pollinator garden.

Small Trees: Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis), Goldenball Leadtree (Leucaena retusa), Eve’s Necklace (Styphnolobium affine), Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria), American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus)

Bushes/shrubs: Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides), Turkscap (Malvaviscus drummondii), Autumn sage (Salvia greggii), Cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens), Flame acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus), Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala), Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana)

Milkweeds: larval host plants for Monarch and Queen butterflies. Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Antelope horns (Asclepias asperula), Zizotes (Asclepias oenotheroides), Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)

Others: Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea), Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii), Winecup (Callirhoe involuncrata), Four-nerve daisy (Tetranuris scaposa), Zexmenia (Wedelia hispida), Gayfeathers (Liatris spp.), Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), Maximillian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani), Fall blooming asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), Purple coneflower (Echinacea spp.), Pitcher sage (Salvia azurea) , Scarlet sage (S. coccinea), Frostweed (Verbesina virginica), White mistflower (Ageratina havanensis), Gaillardia (Gaillardia spp.), Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), Sideoats grama grass (Bouteloua curtipendula), Blue Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri), Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

NPSOT mission: Promoting research, conservation and utilization of native plants and plant habitats of Texas through education, outreach and example. (npsot.org) For information on plant bloom times, sizes, water needs and more go to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s native plant data base. wildflower.org

The following sources have more information on pollinators. Xerces - protecting invertebrates and their habitats. https://xerces.org Audubon - protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. http://www.audubon.org NABA - North American Butterfly Association http://www.naba.org Monarch Joint Venture - Partnering to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. https://monarchjointventure.org

All photos copyright: K. Conrow 2017

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 44 Newsletter Requirements 1. All submissions due by the 15th of the preceding month. Exceptions are at the discretion of the Editor. 2. Articles (text) should preferably be in plain text form. (No pdf’s). Any special formatting requirements should be noted. 3. Photographs & charts should be sent separately as large as possible. Location within the article should be noted. Please include a caption with each photograph and note any individual names of people.

May Program, Montana Williams, Cameron Barlow "Pollinator Pathway Project

Visit us on the Web The purpose of the Native Plant Society of Texas is to promote the conservation, research, and utilization of the at native plants and plant habitats of Texas through www.txnativeplants.org education, outreach, and example.

Join the Native Plant Society of Texas! The North Central Texas NPSOT News Become a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. Membership is open to any individual, family, or organization. Membership is renewable annually and extends for a year from the is a monthly publication of date we receive your original payment. Note new prices effective April 1, 2019. If you wish to join, please indicate your category of membership, then clip and mail this application with the the North Central Chapter appropriate remittance to: of the Native Plant Society Native Plant Society of Texas of Texas. PO Box 3017, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 For changes of address or ___ Student $35 ___ Family (2 or more) $60 information about contribut- ___ Senior (65+) $35 ___ Patron $100 ing to the newsletter, please ___ Limited Income $35 ___ Benefactor $250 contact the newsletter editor. ___ Individual $45 ___ Supporting $500 The deadline for submitting ___ Lifetime $1200 ___ Additional Chapter(s) $6 articles for inclusion in the Name: ______newsletter is the 15th of every Address: ______preceding month. City, State, Zip: ______County: ______Troy Mullens, Editor Phone: [email protected] Chapter Affiliation: _____North Central Chapter______E-mail: ______Go to https://npsot.org/wp/join-renew/ for an on-line sign-up form or for additional information. A printable form is also available there.

April 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 45