Our website is chock full of wonderful and exciting events and resources that the whole family can enjoy while learning about native plants and how important they are to us.

Now the talented graphics people at the City of Austin have generously created two new logos for us. Anyone can download them using the links below and use them on newsletters, websites, press releases and other material to help promote Texas Native Plant Week. Just right click on one of the images below to download it.

Please help us get the word out about Texas Native Plant Week.

Point of Contact: Anna Strong, Chairperson – Texas Native Plant Week, 314-517-2334

Native Plant Society Announces Texas Native Plant Week, October 14 – 20, 2012

What makes you think of home? For some, it might be the relentless trill of summer cicadas. For others, “home” may be the grasses and trees of their youth: St. Augustine grass or Bradford pear trees may come to mind. But a Texan is more likely to think of Texas bluebonnets or Indian paintbrush as “home.” And for good reason: those species, unlike the imported St. Augustine, provide homes for painted lady butterfly eggs and food for ruby-throated hummingbirds. Plants, insects, birds, they’re all natives. Together they co-exist and create our unique sense of place, the landscape we call “home.”

To promote the importance of our state’s special sense of place, the Texas Legislature has designated October 14-20 as Native Plant Week. Local communities throughout Texas are planning events for the public to foster the use of native plants in the landscape. Wildflower walks, tours of native plant gardens, educational talks given by professional botanists and biologists, and other events will be among those offered by local communities to the public. The events are designed to appeal to a diverse audience — botanists, gardeners, biologists, naturalists. As the week of October 14-20 approaches, check out the NPSOT website at txnativeplantweek.org for events in your community. Meanwhile excellent information about natives is currently available on the site. Look for tips about invasive species, an inventory of Texas native plants, where to buy native wildflowers, and more.

The Native Plant Society of Texas is partnering with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center of The University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the National Wildlife Federation to make October’s Native Plant Week an educational and enjoyable experience. Mark your calendars and partner up!

Native Plant Society of Texas is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote research, conservation and utilization of native plants and plant habitats of Texas through education, outreach and example. For additional information, visit npsot.org.

Native Plant Society Announces Texas Native Plant Week October 14 to 20, 2012

Although Texans hope the drought of 2011 is behind us, one lasting result of that brutal experience occurs every time we turn on the tap. We wonder, how can we reduce water consumption and still enjoy the blessings of our rich Texas plant life? There is, happily, a solution — and that is native plants!

Using Texas natives, in fact, has advantages far beyond that of reduced water consumption. Habitat is provided for birds, nectar is available for butterflies, chemicals are curbed for lawn care and simply, Texas feels more like Texas.

The Native Plant Society of Texas is partnering with other organizations to plan a week in October aimed at a public scorched by drought and ready for alternative landscaping practices. October 14-20, 2012, has been designated Texas Native Plant Week. Designed to appeal to the general public as well as to gardeners, plant enthusiasts and horticulturalists, activities will celebrate the rewards of planting with natives.

Communities throughout Texas will offer wildflower walks, tours of local native plant gardens, talks by experts about native plants, and chapter meetings of the Native Plant Society of Texas. As planning progresses for the week, information will be found at the Texas Native Plant Week website (http://txnativeplantweek.org). Watch the site for more information. Meanwhile, useful information related to the use of natives plants is already available on the website.

The Native Plant Society of Texas has teamed with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center of The University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the National Wildlife Federation to make the October celebration a worthy week for the public.

“As we enjoy this land, we must remember our role as caretakers and stewards of Texas and preserve its beauty for generations to come. One way to economically meet this obligation is wildscaping, a landscaping technique that both preserves and celebrates our natural heritage.

Wildscaping incorporates plants indigenous to Texas into our landscaping designs, creating habitats for native birds, butterflies, honeybees and other wildlife, while reducing the amount of water necessary to maintain them, compared to a more traditional garden populated by non-native plants. The average Texas family can save 30 to 80 percent on water bills just by landscaping with plants that flourish in our climate.”

Take the first step towards your own wildscaping project by celebrating Texas Native Plant week from October 16-22. Use our Statewide Resources page to identify native plants and find the right suppliers. You can also use our Activities guide for other fun ideas.