Category: Native Plants

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Join the Big Pull… locally in Round Rock!

National Invasive Species Week is February 23-March 8. Team up with Good Water Master Naturalists for the Big Pull in Round Rock on March 7.

Info from GWMN:

The Good Water Master Naturalists are supporting the Native Plant Society of Texas by joining them for The Big Pull! Let’s make an impact during National Invasive Species Week by removing invasive species and supporting healthy native ecosystems at the park by our iconic Round Rock on Saturday, March 7, 9am-12pm.

Williamson County Conservation Foundation is taking care of sign up since it’s part of their responsibility so we’ll be signing up on their website. If you’re new to volunteering with them, every participant will need to sign the WCCF waiver before participating. (It is good for the rest of the calendar year in case you want to volunteer with WCCF again.) All are welcome, bring friends and family members if they want to join in on the fun.

All the details

If you have any questions, send an email to wilco-chapter@npsot.org and we’ll put you in touch with chapter member (and master naturalist) Michelle Goerdel.

Read NPSOT’s announcement about the Big Pull and invasive species.

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TPWD Webinar on Jan 21, the Zapata Bladderpod

News from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Conservation Webinar Series:

“Reproductive biology and ecology of the Zapata Bladderpod (Physaria thamnophila; Brassicaceae): an endemic to the Tamaulipan thornscrub, USA”

  • Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • With:
    • Brenda Molano-Flores – Principal Research Scientist-Plant Ecologist & Conservation Biologist Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
    • Janice Coons – Emeritus Botany Professor; PR Institute Affiliate Eastern Illinois University; Illinois Natural History Survey

The Zapata Bladderpod (Physaria thamnophila; Brassicaceae) is a federally and state endangered species endemic to the Tamaulipan thornscrub of South Texas with documented occurrences in Northern Mexico. In this project we documented the breeding system, flower visitors, reproductive success, and seed germination of this species. From 2022-2024, data were gathered at eleven sites ranging from federal, private, and NGO lands. All the data gathered during this project has expanded our knowledge of the biology and ecology of Physaria thamnophila and can contribute to future reintroduction efforts for the species. The latter is extremely important due to the anthropogenic pressures associated with habitat loss and degradation facing Physaria thamnophila and the Tamaulipan thornscrub in south Texas.

A graduate of The University of Iowa, Dr. Molano-Flores got her Ph.D. in 1997. Shortly after she became a Research Scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey (perhaps the oldest state scientific survey of the US). Her research focuses on various aspects of plant-insect interactions, threatened/endangered plant species, plant reproductive biology, and grassland ecosystems

Dr. Coons has investigated reproductive biology of several federally listed plant species including ones in Florida, Arizona, and Texas. She has studied two other Physaria species. She also has developed protocols using seeds to overcome seed dormancy, and then propagate plants to be transplanted to their natural habitats. Her degrees include botany and horticulture, which gave her the necessary skills for these restoration approaches. She retired as an emeritus professor from Eastern Illinois University in 2014.

Register for the webinar at this link or see this TWPD page for all webinars.

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WilcoScape has been updated!

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The WilcoScape Team is pleased to announce recent enhancements to WilcoScape, our chapter’s native plant database. WilcoScape helps you choose, locate, and grow native Texas plants that thrive in Williamson County.

  • The most significant enhancement is the newly added Category filter set. 
    • The Easy to Find & Grow category includes the plants that are the easiest to find in nurseries and the easiest for you to grow successfully. 
    • The More Favorites category provides you with more native plants we recommend for Williamson County, but these may be a little harder to find or grow.
    • The third category is Consider Carefully. It also includes some great native plants, but the plant information needs to be evaluated carefully before adding them to your wish list.
  • We have also updated plant descriptions to indicate the different types of gardens or naturalized areas each plant is recommended for, providing another way to help you succeed with using native plants. Additionally, we added 40 more native plants recommended for Williamson County.

Many of the plants we recommend can be found at our chapter’s wildly popular native plant sales including the sale that is starting today, September 29. See Fall 2025 Native Plant Sale to find the latest native plant sale information.

Please visit WilcoScape and use the Contact Us link provided on the WilcoScape page footer to send us any feedback on your experience or suggestions for improvement.

Best,
The WilcoScape Team
– Gary Bowers and Randy Pensabene