Native Plant Society of Texas
Boerne Chapter
The Home of
Operation NICE!™
Natives Instead of Common Exotics
Web site: http://npsot.org/Boerne
Newsletter
February 2015
Volume 15 Number 2
Monthly Meeting Tuesday February 3, 2015
Cibolo Nature Center at 140 City Park Road, Boerne TX
This month’s presentation by Raúl Pena and Barbara Lowenthal, members of the NPSOT-Kerrville
chapter, will be about the Virtual Herbarium Search Engine. Raul’s hook to entice you to come learn
more is: “There are many virtual herbariums, but ours has a user-friendly interface that facilitates
identifying wildflowers.”
What many people see actually may not be taxonomically correct. This search engine can identify a
plant that you think has two petals, but actually has three petals. We usually narrow the search down
to between 1 to 4 plants out of 400 by just providing bloom color, the bloom month, the number of
petals, leaf shape and arrangement. If more characteristics are needed then the leaf apex, margin,
base and structure can also be specified. If you do not know the taxonomic terms in the drop-down
menus there are view buttons that display a picture and description of each term from which you can
select. You don’t need to know the meaning of the taxonomic terms, but as you use the herbarium
you will learn the meaning of the terms.
After retiring from Shell Development, My wife, Sandy, and I bought some property in the Texas Hill
Country 18 years ago. Within the first two years, we identified over 200 different wildflowers on our
land. At that time, virtual herbariums were almost useless for identifying plants because they were
nothing more than a collection of pictures grouped by family. The other resource was flipping through
the pages of wildflowers books until you found a picture that matched your plant. That was what
motivated me to develop a search engine that anybody could easily use to identify wildflowers. This
was about the time Barbara Lowenthal was compiling taxonomic descriptions of plants for the
Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville. With these descriptions and pictures donated by over 47
members of the NPSOT and the Texas Master Naturalist Program, I was able to develop a relational
database with a user-friendly interface that allows anyone to select characteristics they see in a plant
to identify it. Although my degree is in Biology, I spent most of my career with Shell Development in
software support and a software development group. Sandy and I are long-term members of NPSOT.
Sandy helped start and was the first president of the Kerrville Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist
Program.
Barbara Lowenthal is a retired teacher, a Master Naturalist, and a member of Riverside Nature
Center. Edith Bettinger, her former mentor, instilled a hunger to learn more about the native
vegetation in the area. In 2004, with the support and encouragement of the Kerrville chapter, Barbara,
Raúl and a team of photographers set out to document, with photos and written characteristics, the
native plant species in Kerr and surrounding counties. Not being a photographer or a techie, her job
has been to research and write the characteristics of the plants. And she is still at it. Come at 6:30 to
socialize. The program starts at 7 PM.
President’s Message
Greetings All,
Happy February Newsletter to you all. It is hard to believe 2014 passed us so quickly and we are now
in the middle of January 2015. The years seem to fly by these days.
I think we are getting a taste of Winter Texas style. Just a little ice and colder than we are used to –
makes us appreciate the rest of the year in Texas. The weather is keeping me from working in my
garden. It is out there waiting for me. I have gathered all the remnants of my plants and made salves
and tinctures out of them. There are some still growing out there - they are not giving it up. So I guess
at this point I will wait until February to get out there and start preparing for the Spring planting.
One of the exciting things I did before Christmas was make a wreath. Yes, I know everyone makes
wreaths, but not me. I tend to look upon myself as not being real creative, but I decided to make a
wreath out of Native Plants. Of course, I used ashe juniper as the back of the wreath, but then went
on a scavenging hunt and started gathering things I could put on the wreath. I gathered Mexican
buckeye seed pods, possumhaw berries, witch hazel, butterfly vine seed pods, ball moss, lichens,
galls, Spanish oak leaves, American beautyberry seeds, purple sage and Texas thistle – naming a
few. The point in all of this – you can enjoy the Native Plants long after the seasons have past and
make beautiful arrangements. Sure, many of you do already, but for me it was wonderful. I had many
compliments on our wreath and got to talk about the native plants.
I want to take a moment and talk about all the activities available to us in our community and our
area. I am grateful that I have many activities that I love and spend my time participating in. For me it
is all about Volunteering. When I retired in 2009 I was lost – truthfully; I was so excited, but had no
direction or goals. Then someone talked to me about volunteering at the Cibolo Nature Center and
then it began to grow. I heard about the Native Plant Society and the Texas Master Naturalist and I
joined them all. I became very active as a volunteer in many areas. The best part is you are a
volunteer and there are no demands – you volunteer when you choose and do the things you enjoy.
There are many organizations and social gatherings we can participate in, but for me, I love the
groups that allow me to get out and teach, share and work with others. I have had to slow down a bit
since I started, but the volunteering I do allows me to work with many different things. To me, the only
person that limits my activities and my enjoyment is Me. I hope you choose to get out and volunteer
with the Native Plant Sale, plant rescues or 2nd Saturday at CNC, Outdoor Classroom or get involved
with the Texas Master Naturalist. Nature awaits you with open arms and needs you.
It was very exciting at the January meeting to have 18 visitors. That is so wonderful and helps the
Chapter hopefully grow and more widely spread information about Native Plants. Please encourage
and bring your friends to the meetings. It is a wonderful way to meet people with like-minded thoughts
and love of the outdoors. The State Native Plant Society’s yearly membership drive is from January to
April 1st. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our Chapter grew the most this year? I am excited when one new
person comes to the meeting. Keep encouraging participation.
Bill Neiman recommended the book “1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus” by
Charles C. Mann. It will be placed in the Cibolo Nature Center library.
I look forward to seeing you all at the February Chapter meeting. Raúl Pena and Barbara Lowenthal
will share their Virtual Herbarium project. They are both well sought after speakers. We are fortunate
to be able to have them share their wonderful presentation with us.
Everyone enjoy the days ahead, however they come upon us – look out and appreciate all the beauty
that surrounds us. See you in February.
Daneshu Clarke
Chapter Activities
Operation Nice!
NICE! ™Plant of the Month
February 2015
Eve’s necklace
(Styphnolobium affine)
Eve’s necklace, mountain laurel’s first cousin, is NICE! too
Excerpts from Bill Ward’s Native Grown Article in February 2008
(Editor’s note: The Latin name for Eve's necklace has been changed from Sophora affinis to
Styphnolobium affine. The reason is that, unlike its cousin, Texas mountain laurel (Sophora
secundiflora), Eve's necklace lacks the ability to form symbioses on its roots with nitrogen-fixing
bacteria. Information provided by Wilt Shaw. The name has been changed in this article)
Operation NICE! (Natives Instead of Common Exotics!) began in April 2002 with the popular
mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora). Almost six years later, we finally are highlighting the other Hill
Country Sophora, Eve’s necklace (S. affine). Eve’s necklace is not so well known as its showy first
cousin, but it deserves more use as an ornamental in Hill Country yards.
Eve’s necklace is a tall shrub or small tree, growing up to about 20 feet or so high. The foliage is
airy, typical of legumes, with long compound leaves composed of 13- 17 narrow leaflets. In the spring
it has hanging wisteria-like clusters of pale-pink or white blooms.
During fall and winter, the jet black string-of-beads seed pods are eye-catching. The common
name “Eve’s necklace” derives from this striking seed pod. I assume “Eve” is the Eve of Adam-andEve fame. Another common name is “Texas sophora,” even though the plant ranges from Central
Texas into Oklahoma, Arkansas, and northwestern Louisiana.
Unlike mountain laurel, Eve’s necklace is deciduous and is browsed by deer. Caging is necessary
where the deer population is overabundant, and of course that takes in most places in this area. Even
when the tree is tall enough that leaves are out of browsing reach, some protection for the trunks
might be necessary. During the fall rutting season, bucks love to rub trunks the size of Eve’s necklace
trunks.
Once established, Eve’s necklace is drought tolerant. It is not as slow-growing as its cousin,
mountain laurel. In the Hill Country, Eve’s necklace grows in limestone soils on sunny and
partly shady rocky slopes and fence rows as well as in shady understory ravines. Sunny
locations probably promote better blooms. There is a rumor that Eve’s necklace is given to sending
up sucker shoots. So far, we’ve not had that problem nor have any of several friends who have
Eve’s necklace in their yards.
Spring IS coming. I’m ready!
OPERATION NICE! TIP: This beautiful small tree or large shrub looks best standing alone, as it
becomes spindly when in competition with larger plants. It can be found in local nurseries. Eve’s
necklace is wildlife friendly; the plant is used for nesting and cover and the flowers provide nectar for
attracting bees and other insects. It is both extremely winter-hardy and heat tolerant. Use organic
fertilizer which is typically low in nitrogen. Too high nitrogen may hinder blooming. Seeds are
poisonous. Keep an eye on the website for the complete list and poster of the 2015 Nice! plants.
Mostly Native Plant Sale is Coming!
By Betty Dunn
Before we know it the Mostly Native Plant Sale, which is scheduled for April 3-4th this year, will be
here. This is the event by which we raise funds to support our many activities throughout the year. It’s
the event that involves more of our members than any other single event. Let’s be ready!
Warm winter days are a great time to dig and get into pots those volunteers that have appeared in
unwanted spots in your yard. If you need pots for this purpose, contact me at bebsd@hotmail.com. I
have an abundance of pots in multiple sizes, and need to reduce my supply. It’s always the donations
from our members that keep people coming back to our booth year-after-year. You are the source of
most of the hard to find natives that are really desirable, and make our NPSOT booth offerings unique
among all the vendors. Remember, the plants we can purchase for resale are the same plants
available to any of the other vendors.
If potted up now, your volunteer plants will have time to root-out so roots can be seen when the rootball is lifted from the pot. To help this process along, pot up your volunteers, keep them moist and
place them where the sun will warm the pots on sunny days. They may be helped by being covered
on nights when a freeze is expected, too. We generally do not sell plants that have been potted within
just 2-4 weeks of sale, as they will not be well rooted. These poorly rooted plants often do not survive,
and they tend to give NPSOT a bad name as plant suppliers. So, let’s get busy now!
I’m asking for “plant sitters” again this year. Plant shopping will begin in late February until the week
of the plant sale. Your responsibility as “plant sitter” is to keep the plants alive and healthy until sale
day! This involves watering at various intervals depending on the type and size of plants and,
perhaps, covering or moving indoors if we have a freeze. If you can help by taking a small truckload
of plants to care for between purchase and sale date, contact me at the email above.
Giant Workday at CNC Demo Gardens!
By Betty Dunn
It’s time to come out to help clear winter damage and tidy up the Demo Gardens at CNC on Second
Saturday, February 14, 9am-12pm or until work is finished. (Yes, I know it’s Valentines Day, but this
activity is early in the day! You’ll be finished long before it’s time for that special occasion later in the
day!) We have a promise from CNC of several volunteers from a local company for us to supervise.
So, put this on your calendar now! Without supervision, these willing and able bodied volunteers just
won’t know where to start. We hope to prune shrubs of winter damage and excess growth to give us
lots of compact growth and lush blooms for Spring. We’ll also plant a couple of leftover shrubs,
remove any weeds showing now, and finish installing available plant identification signs in the
Demonstration Gardens. Dress with the weather in mind, but bring gloves, pruning shears, loppers,
shovels, rakes and wire cutters. Hope to see you and your smiling face there!
Regional Stuff
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Public Meetings
You might have received this information, but if not, you might be interested in it.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the City of San Antonio and Bexar County will
conduct public meetings in Helotes, Texas and Kerrville, Texas, to obtain comments on the Southern
Edwards Plateau draft Habitat Conservation Plan (dHCP), draft Environmental Impact Statement
(dEIS) and an incidental take permit application.
Public meetings are scheduled for 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at each location. The dates and locations for
the public meetings are:
Tuesday, February 3rd
Wednesday, February 4th
Casa Helotes Senior Center
YO Ranch Conference Center
12070 Leslie Road
2033 Sidney Baker
Helotes, Texas 78023
Kerrville, Texas 78028
See http://sephcp.com for additional information on the upcoming public meetings and copies of the
documents (Documents page).
The Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists
February 23, 2015
Animal Tracks and Sign Identification
Jonah Evans Texas Parks and Wildlife Mammalogist
Jonah is responsible for the state non-game mammal research and conservation and operates out of
Boerne. He has a deep passion for animal tracks and sign and is the author of iTrack Wildlife, a
smartphone field guide to animal tracks. He is also a co-author of Animal Tracks and Scat of
California. Jonah has traveled extensively around the United States to train biologists and college
students in animal track identification. He maintains a website dedicated to the art and science of
animal tracking at www.naturetracking.com.
His passion for wildlife developed while growing up on a ranch in Central Texas that had been his
family for 7 generations. His parents, also nature enthusiasts, started the Cibolo Nature Center where
he was a volunteer at all nature center related events. Jonah received his first degree at Prescott
College, Arizona where he concentrated on natural history, ecology, and environmental studies. After
receiving a MS in Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University, he became a Track and Sign
Evaluator for Cyber Tracer Conservation. Jonah worked as the Wildlife Diversity Biologist in West
Texas for 5 years prior to taking on his current position.
The monthly meeting of the Master Naturalist is free and open to the public. Meetings are held 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, Paul Person (210-275-4522).
Happenings – the Calendar
February 3 (Tuesday) 7:00 PM. Monthly meeting. Raúl Pena and Barbara Lowenthal, members of the
NPSOT-Kerrville chapter, will speak about the Virtual Herbarium Search Engine.
February 3 (Tuesday) 5-7:00 PM. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Public meeting, Helotes - see article
above.
February 4 (Wendsday) 5-7:00 PM. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Public meeting, Kerrville - see article
above.
February 23 (Monday) 7:00 PM. Hill Country Master Naturalist monthly meeting. Jonah Evans will talk about
Animal Tracks and Sign Identification.
March 3 (Tuesday) 7:00 PM. Chapter meeting. Presenters Chapter members Delmar Cain, Chuck Janzow
and Wilt Shaw will share their secrets about native plant digital photography.
To find out about activities and workshops with other organizations call or visit their websites:
Cibolo Nature Center (830.249.4616)
http://www.cibolo.org/calendar
Master Naturalist:
San Antonio, Alamo Chapter
http://txmn.org/alamo/
Kerrville, Hill Country Chapter
http://txmn.org/hillcountry/
Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park (210.372.9124)
Medina River Natural Area Second Saturday Programs (210.624.2575)
For more information or to RSVP for any event please contact by telephone. Website: www.sanaturalareas.org

Our meetings are free and open to the public. Join us the first Tuesday of the month, January-June and SeptemberDecember, at 6:30 p.m. at the Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne, Texas.
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Boerne, TX
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