March 2016 Newsletter
www.npsot.org/tyler
CHAPTER
INFORMATION
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
http://npsot.org/wp/tyler/
Hello everybody,
The Tyler chapter of the
Native Plant Society of Texas
meets at the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department
Nature Center at 11942 FM
848 (Bascom Hwy) in Tyler,
Texas on the first Monday of
the month, Sept-May;
second Monday if the first
Monday is a holiday.
We had a good work day at the Nature
Center on February 20. Jim Showen,
Bryan Bonner, Daniel Hendrick, Ed Bryant,
Tamara Kratzer, Kay Jenkins and Ron
Loper trimmed plants and pulled weeds
while I potted up the little plants that we
can sell at future plant sales. Several East Texas Master
Naturalists class also helped with the workday. Be thinking
about how we can spend some of our money. I’m pleased to
announce that three people have joined our chapter since
our last meeting—Daniel Hendrick, Wayne Weeks, and Ed
Bryant. Invite more friends and acquaintances to visit us - we
have some good programs and field trips planned.
Spring flowers are beginning to come out. Callery pear, a tree
that was brought from the Orient to use as rootstock for fruit
trees, is in bloom now, with its cultivar Bradford pear, falling
close behind. Mexican plum and redbud are coming along.
Enjoy watching for all the new flowers as they appear, from
the “plants that you step on” in your yard to the fields of
yellow ragwort. I’m looking forward to Jim Varnum’s
presentation on Monday, March 7th. Let’s give Jim a big
audience. Please join us for dinner at Posada’s at 5:00 pm
before the meeting!
Ruth
NPSOT – Tyler Chapter
March 2016 Newsletter
Meetings begin at 6:30 pm
with a program. Join us for
dinner at Posadas at 5:00
pm before the meeting.
Meetings are open to the
public. Several field trips are
offered throughout the year.
CHAPTER CONTACTS
Ruth Loper
President
903-839-7695
[email protected]
Kay Jenkins
Newsletter Editor
[email protected]
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Bluebonnets
Texas State Flower
By Ruth Loper
Remember, there are six different species (Lupinus) of
bluebonnets in Texas, and they are all considered to be the
State Flower. The first one designated that name was the
Sandyland Bluebonnet (L. subcarnosus) found in southeast
Texas, even though the Texas Bluebonnet (L texensis) is more
widely planted now. Some of our members have seen the Big
Bend Bluebonnet, a tall one, and there are still three more in
the Southwest. Do you know the way to tell the difference
between the Sandyland and Texas bluebonnets, both seen
here in our area? Texas bluebonnet racemes (stem of
flowers) have white tips; Sandylands are blue all the way to
the top
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 7, 2015: NPSOT Tyler
Chapter Meeting
6:30 pm Tyler Nature Center
Program: Non-flowering
Plants (and other strange
things in forest and field) by
Jim Varnum,
Roses are red. Violets are
blue. Oaks are _____? Ferns
are _____? Mosses are
_____? Master Naturalist Jim
Varnum takes you on a
journey from flowering
plants, like daffodils,
sunflowers and even sedges
and grasses to nonflowering plants like conifers,
ferns, mosses and liverworts,
looking at the similarities
and distinctness along the
way. Jim presents oftenfound non-plants – some
strange, some not: fungi,
lichens, cyanobacteria and
slime mold, yuck!
March 12, 2016: NPSOT
Spring Symposium, visit
www.npsot.org for more
information.
Lupinus subcarnosus
Photo by Sonnia Hill
Lupinus texensis
Photo by Sonnia Hill
March 26: FIELD TRIP
Come see rare Texas
Trilliums on Ruth and Ron
Loper’s land. We will have a
POTLUCK BRUNCH at 10:00
AM., then walk or ride down
the hill to see trilliums,
Packera and anything else
that is out. 13456 CR 2235,
Whitehouse, TX 75791
April 2, 2016: SFASU Plant
Sale; Nacogdoches
NPSOT – Tyler Chapter
March 2016 Newsletter
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