Stephen F. Austin State University SFA ScholarWorks Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference SFA Gardens 2008 4th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference David Creech Dept of Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, [email protected] Greg Grant Stephen F. Austin State University James Kroll Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, [email protected] Dawn Stover Stephen F. Austin State University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/sfa_gardens_lonestar Part of the Agricultural Education Commons, Botany Commons, Forest Sciences Commons, Horticulture Commons, Other Plant Sciences Commons, and the Viticulture and Oenology Commons Tell us how this article helped you. Recommended Citation Creech, David; Grant, Greg; Kroll, James; and Stover, Dawn, "4th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference" (2008). Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference. Book 6. http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/sfa_gardens_lonestar/6 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the SFA Gardens at SFA ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference by an authorized administrator of SFA ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. • In 00 5' --. , In Associqtion with the cullowhee Nqtive plqnt Confetence Ptoceec!ings ofthe 4th Lone Stat Regional Native Plant Confetence Hoste~ by Stephen F. Austin St~te University Pineywoods N~tive PI~nt Centel' N~cogdoches, Texqs M~y 28-31,2008 Proceed ings ofthe 4th Lone St'lr Region'll N'ltive pl'lnt Conference Hosted by Stephen F. Austin St'lte University Arthur Temple College ofForestry 'lnd Agriculture SFA Pineywoods N'ltive pl'lnt Center N'lcogdoches, Texqs M'ly 28-31, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Lectures Barton, Gail, BiU Fontenot, and Peter Loos Garden Evolution: A Personal Experience 3 Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb Invaders ofthe Plant Kind in East Texas 14 Godwin, Wllliam Microhabitat Ecology and Conservation in East Texas from a Geological Perspective 25 LambersoD, Kristin Allowing Beauty and Interconnectedness ofAll Things to Infiltrate Our Hearts and Yards 26 Midgley, Jan Plant Propagation 28 Morris, George Stream Restoration-The Role ofVegetation 32 Philipps, Tom Welcome to the East Texas National Forests 33 Shackelford, CUff Watching Hummingbirds in Texas: Better Than Reality TV 55 Shackelford, Julie Land Conservation in a Changing Environment 57 Van Kley, Jim Native Plants as Indicators ofthe Natural Forest 60 Vidrine, Malcolm and Caroline Vidrine Meat, Salad, and Microbes: Antimicrobial Plants ofthe Cajun Prairie 71 Field Trip Plant Lists Bronstad, Mark Tyler County 82 Creech, David Nacogdoches Area 87 Gaylord, Heinz Ivy Payne Preserve 97 Keith, Eric Jasper and Newton County 104 Liggio, Joe Matlock Hills and Colero Creek 108 Loo~ Peter San Augustine County and Stewart Ranch 113 Neal, Jim Little Sandy National Wildlife Refuge 115 Olsen, Glenn Birding 101 121 Shelton, Larry Naconiche Creek 124 Workshops Allen, Charles Edible Plants 127 Boyette, John Carbon Sequestration in East Texas 132 Schmidt, AI Farm Bill 2002 Environmental Quality Incentives Program 134 Steinbach, Mark Texas Land Conservancy 140 Bios ofSpeak.ers and Tour Leaders 143 Lectures Garden Evolution: A Personal Experience A Panel Discussion By Gail Barton, Bill Fontenot and Peter Loos Each ofthe three panelists will give a short presentation about his/her personal garden space. An open discussion will follow. A summary ofeach garden situation is given below. Garden ofGail Barton and Richard Lowery Our garden is located in Meridian, Mississippi which is in East Central Mississippi (Zone 7b) near the Alabama state line. We live in the city limits in a residential neighborhood. The house on a 90'xI50' lot was purchased in 1984. At that time, the predominant plant materials were S1. Augustine grass, existing pine and hardwood trees and a few exotic shrubs and ground covers (nandina, evergreen barberry, Indica azalea, cast iron plant, English ivy and liriope). The site was mostly wooded prior to Hurricane Katrina Currently the back garden is sheltered by large (100'+) white oaks and other hardwoods including mockernut hickory, water oak, Southern red oak and flowering dogwood. The terrain is basically a graded hilltop with disturbed urban fill dirt in some areas and native clay loam in others. The indigenous plants that appeared in the garden and began to thrive after a few years of gentler management include beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), devil's walking stick (Aralia spinosa), partridge berry (Mitchella repens), hairy sunflower (Helianthus tomentosus), Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), mistflower (Eupatorium colestinum), hydrangea vine (Decumaria barbara), wood oats (Chasmanthium sesiliflorum), elephant's foot (Elephantopus tomentosus), wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniana), and turk's cap mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus). Other natives from the adjacent 6 acres were incorporated into the landscape including: American beech (Fagus grandiflora), sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), Indian pink: (Spigelia marilandica), Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens), arrow-wood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) and ironwood (Carpinus caroliana). The main advantage ofthe site has been the existing trees especially the large oaks. Since the site is more or less upland, drainage is decent in spite ofthe heavy clay. Even though the land is located in the city ofMeridian, six adjoining acres have been purchased a little at a time. This allows a view ofthe woods including a large stand ofpiedmont azaleas and a view of a soggy bottom where cypress, sweet bay magnolias, native iris and other wetland species thrive. The garden benefits greatly from the borrowed scenery which serves as a soothing backdrop. The site has been challenging because house is located about 50 feet from a busy street. Quick screening was desperately needed. Since the garden is in town and has been described by many as "growed up", there have been various unpleasant interactions with the city zoning department and with neighbors who were fearful ofsnakes that might be hiding in the plantings. The original owner bequeathed English ivy which has been a terrible and ongoing maintenance problem. Our last land purchase included an acre ofmostly Chinese privet and a halfacre of Chinese wisteria The most recent dilemma was putting the place back together after Hurricane Katrina came to town. Most ofthe large pines in the front yard had to be removed and so the garden is in transition from a gently shaded spot to one that bakes in sun. Some plants have made the transition and others have not. The following understory trees have been incorporated into the garden - ironwood (Carpinus caroUniana), red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), bigleafmagnolia (Magnolia macrophylla), American beech (Fagus grandiflora) and flowering dogwood (Cornusflorida). Screening needs are being fulfilled by evergreen starbush (RUcium jloridanum), Florida leucothoe (Agarista populifoUa), southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), spruce pine (Pinus glabra) and titi (Cyrilla racemiflora). Native shrubs include native azaleas, Virgiania sweetspire (Itea virginica), silverbell (Halesia spp.), witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), wahoo (Euonymus americanus), Alabama croton (Croton alabamensis), possumhaw holly (Rex decidua) and palmetto (Sabal minor). Favorite herbaceous groundcovers include woodland pWox (Phlox divaricata), southern shield fern (Thelypteris kunthii), atamasco lily (Zephryanthes atamasco), black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), beard tongue (Penstemon digitalis), green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum). The front yard is now totally screened from the street by a planting ofstarbush, small anise tree, and southern magnolia. Indigenous groupings ofsweetbay magnolia and wild honeysuckle azalea on the perimeter ofthe site impart enticing floral scents. A tiny garden pond with spitting frogs provides soothing water sounds and a realistic habitat for a specimen titi. Small pieces ofnative rock are used to border beds and larger pieces serve as sPeCimen rocks. Yard art including gazing balls and Marc Pastorek's ceramic faces grace the garden. The house is intimately integrated with the garden. Three sliding glass doors open onto an elevated deck that overlooks the back garden. A broken concrete path defines the backyard trails. A series ofarbors mark the transition between different parts ofthe garden. The garden is all about transitions from one season to another and from one garden room to another. Garden ofBill and Lydia Fontenot Lafayette Parish, South-Central Louisiana We are located just north ofLafayette, in south-central Louisiana. We're in the western edge ofthe Atchafalaya Swamp (ca. 14' above mean sea level) about a half-mile east ofBayou Vermilion, a lazy north-south stream which empties into the GulfofMexico a little over an hour due south ofus. We live at the dead-end ofa gravel road. We moved there in the spring of 1982, and began gardening in earnest by the following year. Our plant hardiness zone is 8b. The place was a cow pasture when we first moved in. The gravel road was a cow path. There were no power poles present either. We waited several months for phone and electricity. Over the years we've had the privilege ofwatching the cow pasture succeed into a bottomland hardwood forest, dominated by sweetgum, American elm, hackberry, water oak, and green ash, with lesser amounts ofcoast live oak, sweet pecan, and swamp red maple. Herbaceous