NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS N e w s Native Plant Society of Texas, North Central Chapter P Newsletter Vol 32, Number 62 S December 2020 O ncc npsot newsletter logo newsletter ncc npsot © 2018 Troy & Martha Mullens & Martha © 2018 Troy Purple Coneflower — Echinacea sp. T December Meeting December Meeting: See Page 18 "Nature Photography" For a program description By Troy & Martha Mullens p. 18 Virtual Chapter of the Year (2016/17) Chapter Newsletter of the Year (2019/20) Visit us at ncnpsot.org & www.txnativeplants.org Chapter Leaders Index President — Gordon Scruggs [email protected] Past President — Karen Harden President's Corner by Gordon Scruggs ..................... p. 3f Vice President & Programs — Flower of the Month, Yaupon Holly Morgan Chivers by Josephine Keeney ........................................ p. 7f Activities & Volunteering for October 2020 Recording Secretary — Debbie Stilson by Martha Mullens ....................................... p. 9f Treasurer — Vanessa Wojtas Leadplant by Martha Mullens .................................... p. 11ff Hospitality Chair — Corinna Benson, Indian grass, NICE! Plant of the Season (Fall) Traci Middleton by Dr. Becca Dickstein .................................... p. 14 Membership Chair — Beth Barber Answer to last month’s puzzle and a new puzzle ...... p. 15 Events Chair — Vanessa Wojtas "Nov. Calendar” Page by Troy Mullens ...................... p. 16 NICE! Coordinator — Avon Burton October Membership Report by Beth Barber .......... p. 17 Hospitality by Corinna Benson .................................. p. 17 Plant Sales Coordinators - Gordon Scruggs December Program by Troy & Martha Mullens & Sandy Fountain & Josephine Keeney Narure Potography ......................................... p. 18 Education/Outreach Chair — Open Parting Shots, News & Views by the Editors ........... p. 19ff Webmaster — Frank Keeney Volunteer Position Opportunites: Must read ........... p. 19 Field Trips — Eric Johnson Farmers Calendar by Troy Mullens ........................... p. 20 Speaker’s Bureau — Theresa Thomas Nov. Meeting, Native Plants by Adam Black ............ p. 21f Nov. Program Review by Martha Mullens .............. p. 22 Donations/Grants Chair — Open Recommended Plants List (Complete) ..................... p. 23f Parliamentarian — Martha Mullens Pollinator Pledge by the Xerces Society .................... p. 25 Facebook Manager — Open Half-Earth Pledge by E.O. Wilson ............................. p. 25 Newsletter Editor — Troy Mullens Upcoming progrms for next year .............................. p. 26 [email protected] Fort Worth Botanic Garden Management Assistant Newsletter Editor — Transfers from City of Fort Worth to BRIT ... p. 27 Martha Mullens Become an armchair botanist (Volunteer) ............... p. 27 "Past Meeting" Minutes by Debbie Stilson .................. p. 28 Southwest Subcourthouse Garden Leaders Join NPSOT, Mission Statement, next Meeting ........ p. 29 Gailon Hardin & Dawn Hancock Newsletter Submission Requirements ...................... p. 29 Native Plant Gardens at the Southwest Regional Library Leaders — Theresa Thomas & Char McMorrow Molly Hollar Wildscape Garden Leader — Ann Knudsen Fielder House Garden Leaders — Josephine Keeney & Jane Osterhuis O.S. Gray Natural Area — Questions, Josephine Keeney White Settlement Waystation — Comments ? Merita Knapp & Sandy Fountain Publicity Chair — Chairperson needed Use this link below ! & Martha Mullens Troy ©2017 NLCP Classes Coordinator — Open [email protected] The President’s Corner - December 2020 - by Gordon Scruggs I want to first ask for volunteers who are willing to commit some time each month to our Chapter to please step forward. We have positions open on the following committees: Field Trips, Donations and Grants, Education / Outreach, Publicity, and we need coordinators for NLCP (Native Land- scape Certification Program), and a Treasurer. We also need volunteers to help with the website. No experience necessary; we will train you and then work with you. If you want to help, but do not want a leadership position or have limited time that is fine too. Please contact me if you have an interest in working with us to keep our Chap- A few blooms remain on the Flame acanthus ter the best in Texas. Here it is mid-November and I am sitting out back drinking coffee in short sleeves watching the sun rise. Although most of the plants in my gar- dens are going to seed, I still have a few blooming. Some are loving this weather like the Engelmann (cutleaf) daisy / Engelmannia peristenia, Mealy blue sage / Salvia farinacea, Scarlet sage / S. coc- cinea, and Autumn sage / S. greggii. This month in addition to planting new plants ac- quired at the fall plant sale, I sowed seed for next year. This summer and fall I spent time collecting seeds. I am considering packaging and selling the collected seeds at the spring plant sale. A first year Butterfly milkweed still growing. Enjoy the following pictures from my gardens. I hope you are enjoying your gardens and the outdoors with this mild weather. If you have any A flower’s appeal is in its contra- comments or suggestions on my plans or just dictions – so delicate in form yet want to talk natives, please contact me at [email protected]. strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect. Terri Guillemets Continued on Page 4 December 2020 NPSOT News North Central Chapter Page 3 The President’s Corner - December 2020 - by Gordon Scruggs Continued from Page 3 Frostweed going to seed. Fruit on Turk’s cap. Golden columbine is recuperating from the hot summer. Lance-leaf coreopsis seed pod. Look closely and you will see the Cedar sage seed pods. Mealy blue sage var. H. Duelberg enjoying the mild fall weather. December 2020 NPSOT News North Central Chapter Page 4 The President’s Corner - December 2020 - by Gordon Scruggs Continued from Page 4 One of several Texas thistle rosettes. One of the blooms on Gregg’s mistflower that has not yet gone to seed. Seed pod on Bush sunflower. Seeds on a Toothleaf goldeneye. Seeds on the Fall aster. Some Purple coneflowers are still blooming. December 2020 NPSOT News North Central Chapter Page 5 The President’s Corner - December 2020 - by Gordon Scruggs Continued from Page 5 The Coral honeysuckle leaves are getting The Mealy blue sage is going to seed. Wild bergarmot (bee balm) seed heads. colorful. Autumn sage is blooming. Many flowers on the Engelmann daisies. Scarlet sage is blooming for the sulfur butterflies. Seeds on Blue mistflower. Yellow prairie flax is still blooming. December 2020 NPSOT News North Central Chapter Page 6 Yaupon Holly — Flower of the Month for December Story & Photographs by Josephine Keeney Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria Aquifoliaceae (Holly Family) What a wonderful and useful plant Yaupon Holly is!! This lovely shrub or small tree is one of the few evergreen plants native to Texas. It has an upright habit and grows up to 25 feet, but usually smaller. It is not particular about soil or water and can tolerate drought as well as sun or shade. This is a monoecious plant, so you need a male and a female plant to get berries, but luckily there are so many planted all around that it is usually not necessary to plant both of them. However, if you want berries you need the female, so purchase one in the fall to make sure you get a female. You can also just purchase a plant from a reputable nursery, or take and root a cutting from a female plant to be sure you get a female. Yaupon will self seed although not abundantly, and if you use the seedlings you must wait until the plant is mature enough to bloom, to find out what you have. If you have enough space these seedlings can be used to form an evergreen screen or fence row, which in many cases is very useful and a great bonus for birds as a shelter from weather and predators. The berries are very beautiful and a favorite food of mockingbirds, cardinals, and blue jays. It is really fun to watch the mockingbirds try to defend their shrub from all the other birds. The name vomitoria refers to an old custom of native Americans who used the leaves to make a tea and drank it in great quantities until it caused them to vomit. This was done during ceremonies to cleanse the body of impurities and raise the mind to a higher level of consciousness. The leaves contain caffeine and a tea can be made by lightly toasting them in a 300 degree oven for about a half hour, then crushing about one tablespoon of leaves in a cup and pouring boiling water over them. They say it is quite good with a little honey added. I must say I haven’t tried it yet but I plan to get up the courage one of these days. Photos on Page 8 December 2020 NPSOT News North Central Chapter Page 7 Yqupon Holly — Flower of the Month for December Continued from Page 7 Small tree Branches with berries Close-up of branches. Close-up of berries Photographs by Josephine Keeney December 2020 NPSOT News North Central Chapter Page 8 December 2020 Activities Scheduled - by Martha Mullens Some activities are being allowed with restrictions. Programs listed may be cancelled, rescheduled or changed to online due to covid-19. Check with the sponsors. Restrictions: social distancing, masks required for entry, screening before entry. North Central Chapter of Native Plant Society of Texas www.txnativeplants.org Dec. 3 6:30 PM Because of the pandemic, there will not be an in-person holiday party. Instead a speaker. Go-to-meeting online Nature Photography Troy Mullens No December Board Meeting Native Prairies Association of Texas Fort Worth Chapter Most in-person hikes, events, tours and meet-ups cancelled. Mon., Dec. 14 7 PM on zoom Senior Marine Creek Land Scholars present Native Plant Seed Bomb results https://fortworthnpat.wordpress.com/ Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge https://www.fwnaturecenter.org/ Hardwicke Interpretive Center closed. Weekday naturalist-led outdoor programs will be available, but pre-registration is required. Check website for specific programs. Admission tickets for all visits must be purchased online in advance of visit.