Operation NICE!™
Natives Instead of Common Exotics
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NEWSLETTEr
JUNE2013
Volume 13 Number 6
Monthly Meeting Tuesday June 4, 2013
CiboloNatureCenter at 140 City Park Road, BoerneTX
As springtime winds to a close, so do our chapter meetings. Before we head off on our summer “break”, let’s party it up at our June potluck! As always, bring your favorite potluck item. This year, in addition to the potluck, Dr. Elizabeth Bates, a Wildlife Biologist with TexasParks and Wildlife Department, who has an office at the CNC, will introduce herself and talk a bit about her position.So bring your favorite dish, meet Dr. Bates and visit before the summer break. The Board will provide drinks, paper goods and eating utensils. Come to socialize at 6:30; eating starts at 7 PM.See thePresident’s message for a little more about the potluck.
President’s Message
Plants and People Respond
What wonderful rain! I know we are all really enjoying this spring. Between the cooler temperatures and sufficient rain our plants are responding well. For the first time in several years Chuck Janzow has been able to collect smoke tree seeds. Hopefully, that will hold true for other trees and shrubs which have been hard to find seed for such as the Escarpment Black Cherry.
I'm asking our members to respond also to a couple of requests:First, our food collection for the Kendall County Women’s Shelter was so well received at Christmas that we are again asking for non-perishable food donations at our potluck this June 4th. Please bring a dish to share for us and something to donate to the shelter.The second request is something that our chapter has always been good at. You have always responded when new officers are needed for the coming year.I have bragged at State meetings that we have never had officers serve over and over. We have such willing and talented members. If you would like to serve or are approached by a member of the board, please consider giving of your time and talent in the coming year. We need you and in truth you can have some fun along the way.
Since I look upon this job as being the chief cheerleader to an active impassioned NPSOT chapter, I can say “Our chapter has done it again!” Thanks to our intrepid leader, Betty Dunn, the native plant sale was a success.We raised $2,770, a financial success that will allow us to fund our programs for the coming year.
However, that isn’t the success I’m speaking of; I am speaking of our mission success.On so many levels that Friday afternoon/evening and Saturday was worth all the hard work put into it. Our members responded so generously.Many grew wonderful, healthy plants to be sold.I saw sale items brought in by people who I never see at meetings but who do their outreach by nurturing natives for the sale.There are also some growers that we absolutely depend on for the variety not found at wholesale nurseries.The other component to such a successful sale was the sales booth volunteers.First the trucks had to be unloaded, the labels put on the pots, the pricing color dots attached and the tables arranged grouping similar plants together.This period was organized chaos but by the time of the CNC members pre-sale all was ready.There are always a lot of familiar faces on Friday evening.Our sales were good and our customers on the knowledgeable side.On Saturday I watched such a variety of purchasers come up to our booth.Each had a question or a special property condition.There were deer problems, damp area problems, the usual caliche conditions etc., etc.Some wanted color, some rapid growth to cover an area.Then there were customers interested in the unusual or rare plant that they had been searching for.This is where our members were so effective in our mission of educating the public at large.It is so fulfilling to listen in as good information is imparted about the natives on sale.Our volunteers were well informed, passionate and friendly. It was evident that we were selling natives no matter who you purchased from.At the lunch tables one couple said that last year was their first visit and they enjoyed it so much that they plan on coming up from San Antonio annually.Several volunteers met two ladies, perhaps a mother and daughter, who told us that they save and budget a certain dollar amount just for this sale.We are the first booth they come to!What a compliment.
So congratulations to all who worked so hard.It was a job well done.
Jane McAuliffe
Operation NICE!™
Plant of the Month
June 2013
Buckley’s yucca
Yucca constricta
by Veronica Hawk
There are 16 species of yucca, often called Spanish Dagger, in Texas. They range from short plants with small stems, such as the Buckley’s or white-rim yucca, to the tree yuccas such as Thompson’s yucca and Torrey yucca.
Buckley’s yucca is an agave that is a perennial shrub in the lily group. It is native throughout Texas to the gulf coast in rocky limestone habitat. It can be distinguished from the endemic twist leaf yucca by its thin leaves and the curly threads along the margins of the bluish-green leaves. At the end of each leaf is a short spine.
If Buckley’s yucca is protected from deer, the flowers come from a tall branched bloom stalk, are greenish white, bell shaped and up to 2 inches long. The sweet smell of the flowers is released in the evenings from April to June to attract the yucca moth (genera Tegeticula and Parategeticula) that transfers pollen when she lays her eggs in the flower. There, the moth’s larvae hatch to then consume some of the seeds. This relationship is so dependent that they cannot live without each other. The yucca is also the host plant for the Yucca giant-skipper (Megathymus yuccae), the ursine giant-skipper (Megathymus ursus) and the Strecker’s giant skipper(Megathymus streckeri).
This very showy native blooms best in full sun. In the garden, Buckley’s yucca has a low water requirement and likes well-drained, rocky soil. It is a great nectar source and the flowers are a food source for deer. To protect the flower stalk from predation, plant within a stand of prickly pear, on a steep cliff or where the deer would feel uncomfortable browsing… perhaps by the dog house?
OPERATION NICE! TIP: This yucca, as well as others, can be a dramatic accent to almost any landscape, as long as it isn’t overwatered. Buckley’s yucca does not transplant well, regardless of size. It is best obtained as a container grown plant or grown from seed.
The Operation Nice! 2013 Plant of the Month poster is available on our website
Reminders
July 4th in Comfort!
It’s that time of year again! PARADE TIME!
by Emily Weiner
Due to time constraints, we will not be entering a float in the Boerne Berges Fest parade this year, BUT that just means we can devote more energy to the July 4th parade in Comfort! Planning is starting now and we need YOU! There are seedballs to be made, bags to be stuffed, a float to be decorated, and, of course, my plea for riders, walkers, and seedball distributors hidden amidst the crowd! And if you have ideas for the float, please let me know!
As you may expect, the parade is held on Thursday, July 4th, with line-up beginning at 8:45 that morning! We had a wonderful time last year and won best area non-profit! We would love to have a repeat performance this year! So, please join in the fun! If you have any question, shoot me an email at or give me a call 503-784-3822.
Meet-up! A great way to keep in touch!
by Emily Weiner
If you have not visited our Meet-up site yet, I encourage you to check it out over the upcoming weeks. While we hide from the sweltering heat of July and August, Meet-up will be a great way for us to keep in touch, as well as, keep up with native plant-related events going on in our region! In addition to our chapter, the San Antonio chapter hosts a number of great field trips and the details are easy to find on Meet-up! You do not have to create a Meet-up account to view events; although, it is nice to see our member numbers grow on the site! So, head over to:
If you have any questions, I am happy to help out! Just shoot me an email at .
NPSOT Annual Symposium
The NPSOT annual symposium and member’s meeting will be held on October 17-20, 2013, at the Holiday Inn - EmeraldBeach located at 1102 South Shoreline on the bay shore in downtown Corpus Christi. Attendees will receive a discounted rate of $89 per night plus tax for standard rooms with the reduced rate also made available for the added nights of October 16th and 20th. The discounted rate applies for all reservations booked by October 3, 2013.
Reservations at the hotel can be booked on-line at . Be sure that the “Group Code” field is filled-in with NPS in order to receive the discounted rate of $89 per night. You may also call (361) 673- 9074 to book your reservation via phone. Be sure to mention that you will be a NPSOT symposium attendee or mention the “Group Code” of NPS.For more information on the hotel, go to
Regional Stuff
The Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists
June 24, 2013
Drought: Past Present, and Future
Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Regents Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas State Climatologist
Are we in the throws of a new ‘drought of record’? What is causing the current drought? How long will it endure? These are just some of the questions which will be explored. Drought is an unavoidable part of Texas climate, but the ongoing drought in Texas has already set records. This talk will describe research unearthing the causes of the drought, the historical context of the drought, the ability, or lack there of, to forecast drought, and the various natural and non-natural factors that contribute to the outlook for drought over the next years and decades.
John Nielsen-Gammon holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty at TexasA&MUniversity in 1991 and was appointed Texas State Climatologist by then-Governor George W. Bush in 2000. As such, he is much in demand as a speaker to address the concerns regarding our continuing drought and ‘what’s really going on out there’. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon’s research includes drought monitoring and forecasting, climate data quality, heavy rain, air pollution meteorology, and data assimilation. He teaches courses in weather analysis and forecasting, atmospheric dynamics, and climatology. He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society, Past President of the International Commission for Dynamical Meteorology, and a former chair of the American Meteorological Society’s Board on Higher Education. He recently received the TexasA&MCollege of Geosciences Distinguished Achievement Award for Service, and the Texas A&M SEC Faculty Achievement Award.
The monthly meeting of the Master Naturalist is free and open to the public. Please join us at the Upper Guadalupe River Authority’s lecture hall, located at 125 Lehmann Dr. in Kerrville. Socializing begins at 6:30pm, with the program starting at 7:00. For questions regarding this presentation, please contact our program coordinator, Tom Hynes at 830-990-5750.
Invaders of Texas: A Citizen Scientist Program
Balcones Satellite
Information and pictures submitted by Cheryl Hamilton
Invasive plant infestations are an increasing challenge in the Texas Hill Country.The Balcones Invaders are a local satellite of the Invaders of Texas Program focusing on identification and eradication of invasive plants.During the past four years, volunteers have spent more than 3700 hours eradicating more than 19,000 invasive plants in parks and preserves in northwest San Antonio.
Program on Invasive Plant Species:What they are and how to identify and control them
When:Saturday, July 13, 2013,10 AM – 2 PMNote:for Citizen Scientist Certification, two to three additional training hours in the field will be individually arranged.
Where: Westfall Library,6111 Rosedale Ct., San Antonio, TX
Program Coordinators: Cheryl Hamilton and Lonnie and Judith Shockley.Presenters have extensive experience in the area of invasive plant identification, control, and eradication.All are Texas Master Naturalists, Invaders of Texas Citizen Scientists, members of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and associated with other related organizations and activities.
Plant Berries Are A Good Source Of Food For Birds……Right?
Nandina is a known problematic invasive plant species often planted as an ornamental, and like many other invasive plants can be both unhealthy and/or toxic to many bird and animal species.The latest issue of the iWire, a web publication of the Texas Invaders, reported on dozens of Cedar Waxwings that were found dead in ThomasCounty, Georgia due to the toxic effects of nandina (Nandina domestica) berries.Cedar waxwings are known to havevoracious feeding behavior and prefer berries.Nandina (aka Heavenly Bamboo) contains cyanide and is one of the few species to have abundant berries at that time of year in the region.Other studies have confirmed that berries can also be toxic to cats and some grazing animals.
Our local citizen scientist satellite has eradicated thousands of nandinas in our natural areas during the past four years.Please help us spread the word about this toxic plant. If you have Nandina plants in your yard, please remove them and replace with native berry-producing shrub species, such as: Possomhaw holly (Ilex decidua), Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), Cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens), Flameleaf sumac (Rhus copallinum) and Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra). If you cannot bear to eradicate your nandina, remove the flowers (easiest) or berries and put them in a trash bag for removal. Thank you for your help!
To read the complete study, click on
Summer Schedule (LeonCreek Greenway):Tuesday mornings 7:30-9:30 AM in June, July and August. We invite you to join us. No prior experience or invasive plant recognition is required. Just bring gloves and plenty of water. We have a supply of loppers and saws, but welcome anyone to bring their own.
If you are interested in joining this group of dedicated volunteers, want more information, want to register for the July program or to sign up for the weekly email that detailsour exact location and directions,contact Lonnie, the team leader, at
Happenings – the Calendar
June 4 (Tuesday) 7:00 PM.Chapter meeting – Annual summer potluck, CiboloNatureCenter. Come to socialize at 6:30; eating starts at 7 PM.
July and August – we will be on vacation – look for your September newsletter in late August.
To find out about activities and workshops with other organizations call or visit their websites:
Cibolo Nature Center (830.249.4616)
Master Naturalist:
San Antonio, Alamo Chapter
Kerrville, Hill Country Chapter
Friends of FriedrichWildernessPark (210.372.9124)
MedinaRiver Natural Area Second Saturday Programs (210.624.2575)
For more information or to RSVP for any event please contact by telephone. Website:
Invaders of Texas, Balcones Satellite: Email team leader Lonnie Shockley, for volunteer opportunities
- Our meetings are free and open to the public.Join us the first Tuesday of the month, January-June and September-December, at 6:30 p.m. at the CiboloNatureCenter, Boerne, Texas.
Our Sponsors
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A LITTLE
NATURE STORE
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Boerne, TX
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830-816-2193 / FANICK’S GARDENCENTER
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San Antonio, TX
210-648-1303 / GARDEN GATE COTTAGE ON EVERGREEN COURT
Boerne, TX
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830 249 1808
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Boerne, TX
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San Antonio, TX
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Boerne, TX78006
210-698-9669
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