Tag: native grasses

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Meeting Reminder, September 11:  “Guidelines for Learning to Identify Common Native Grasses of Central Texas” with Ricky Linex

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, September 11, 2025, when our featured topic will be Guidelines for Learning to Identify Common Native Grasses of Central Texas with Ricky Linex.  Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.

==> This month’s in-person location is the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor, 402 West 8th St, Georgetown, TX 78626. Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.

==> To attend via Zoom, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/n5jFwji-Q4-0n7kclxcZzA#/registration

See the original meeting announcement at this link for speaker and topic details.

At every meeting, we give away a book — about native plants or the meeting topic — to one randomly chosen in-person attendee!

* If we have permission from our guest speaker, we record the presentation for our YouTube channel. (See our list of past topics.)

Have an idea for a speaker?  Let Program Leader Susie Hickman know via  email to wilco-chapter@npsot.org.

NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. We hope you attend!  Meetings may be in person, virtual, or both, so be sure to check details in the meeting announcement. Meetings are announced on our website, our calendar and Facebook. See upcoming topics on our Home page or on the Calendar.

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September 11 Chapter Meeting:  “Guidelines for Learning to Identify Common Native Grasses of Central Texas” with Ricky Linex

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, September 11, 2025, when our featured topic will be Guidelines for Learning to Identify Common Native Grasses of Central Texas with Ricky Linex.  Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.

==> This month’s in-person location is the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor, 402 West 8th St, Georgetown, TX 78626. Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.

==> To attend via Zoom, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/n5jFwji-Q4-0n7kclxcZzA#/registration

About our topic:  Come and learn the plant-identifying characteristics for 25 native perennial grasses found in and around Central Texas. Clear photos will showcase the features to look for in making positive identification. Grass ID may seem difficult but will be made easier by the photos and a handout on the characteristics that will guide you in making identification. Never again fear the grasses as you walk across the prairies and woods of Central Texas.

image of man

About our speaker: Ricky Linex is a wildlife biologist having retired from the Natural Resources Conservation Service where he worked 38.5 years. Over the previous 18 years Ricky served 52 counties in north-central Texas. Ricky is the author of Range Plants of North Central Texas: A Land User’s Guide to their Identification, Value and Management.

His assistance to landowners and managers involves mutual education on how to better manage rangelands for sustainable use by livestock and wildlife. Knowing the plants and how to manage them is critical for success as a land steward. Ricky is currently President of the Native Plant Society of Texas.

At every meeting, we give away a book — about native plants or the meeting topic — to one randomly chosen in-person attendee!

* If we have permission from our guest speaker, we record the presentation for our YouTube channel. (See a list of past topics at this link.)

Have an idea for a speaker?  Let Program Leader Susie Hickman know via  email to wilco-chapter@npsot.org.

NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. We hope you attend!  Meetings may be in person, virtual, or both, so be sure to check details in the meeting announcement. Meetings are announced on our website, our calendar and Facebook. See upcoming topics on our Home page or on the Calendar.

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Native grasses and updated plant list for NPSOT-Wilco’s Sept 25 Native Plant Sale

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— by Beth Erwin

image of deer

A common statement among those who garden is “The deer eat everything I plant.” Deer are voracious consumers of leafy plants. If they don’t eat it, they will destroy it rubbing their antlers on it starting in late summer. It is discouraging.

At our Native Plant Sale September 25th, we will have several native grasses for sale and one species of sedge, which is grass-like in appearance. We live on the eastern edge of “The Great American (overgrazed) West.” The cattle, sheep, and goats of many generations of our predecessors were the over-grazers, not the deer. Except in very early spring when the grasses first emerge, deer will leave grass alone.

Today’s gardeners rarely understand, appreciate, or identify the importance of native grasses in our landscape. Unfamiliarity makes it hard to recognize the different species. At the sale, we are offering five species of native grasses, already identified for you. Bring them home, plant them, grow them, and learn to recognize them. And as you watch, you will be amazed at the number of insects that will take up residence among the blades. Hungry birds will come looking for those insects. And you will have begun to create a very rare habitat.

Site your new grasses so you can see the sunlight behind them. Or plant them where you need to slow down water runoff. We have one species, River Oats, that is very shade tolerant. Our sedge offering, known as Meadow or Webberville Sedge, will create a handsome short carpet in the shade. And best of all, the deer will leave them alone.

About the sale

The NPSOT-Wilco plant sale will be held September 25, 2021, at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, 1801 Co Rd 152, Georgetown, TX 78626 in the Main (Tonkawa) Pavilion.  10:00 AM—3:00 PM.  (Note that the first plant walk being led by Ricky Linex begins at 9AM.) Cash, checks, and major credit cards accepted.  We prefer that all customers wear masks and maintain social distance.

Click this link to find details about the sale and how to make special requests.

Plants to be offered as of September 16, 2021

The newest list is at this link September 16 PDF.  The date is in the upper left corner on page 1.   If we update the list again, we’ll send a new blog post out to alert subscribers.

** ARCHIVED POST – LINKS AND IMAGES MAY NOT WORK**