Native Plant Society of Texas
Boerne Chapter
The Home of
Operation NICE!™
Natives Instead of Common Exotics
Web site: http://npsot.org/Boerne
NEWSLETTER
October 2010
Volume 10 Number 8
BOERNE CHAPTER
HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY
October 5 6:30 – 7:00 PM
Boerne chapter Native Plant Society fo Texas – 10 years, 10th month of 2010! After TEN (10) years, it’s
time to hang up our tools and CELEBRATE! Join us at the Cibolo Nature Center on Tuesday, October
5, 2010. Enjoy beer and wine, catered Hors d’Oeuvres and a hike down memory lane
Judi Martin and crew, who do a wonderful job of planning and coordinating our special shindigs, will
need helpers to set up chairs and a few buffet tables starting at 10 AM on Tuesday October 5. If you
are available, she can sure use some extra hands to make the set up go smoothly. If you would like to
help, but can't help with the morning, Judi and crew could use your help with last minute help at 5:30
and/or take down and clean up afterwards. If you can help with the morning or “last minute” setups,
show up at the nature center. If you can help with clean up, come, eat, socialize, and lend a helping
hand. You are also welcome to bring an adult beverage for yourself and to share Thanks for any help
you can provide!
President’s Message
What just happened? It’s hard to believe that my tenure as president of our wonderful organization is
already over. My sincere thanks are extended to the remarkably supportive board members, Donna
Taylor, Delmar Cain, Carolyn Estes, Carolyn Walden and Cynthia Brown. You kept me focused and
made us all look good. I also resoundingly extend to you, the members, for all you have done over the
past year to bring our accomplishments to fruition.
Here is some of what we’ve done (Mind you, some of these programs were created and started by our
previous administration!):
Education
2009-10 saw the initiation of the Native Plant Watch program (Delmar Cain and Kathy Ward) to award
grants to BISD elementary and middle school teachers to help them educate students about the value,
use or conservation of Texas native plants. We also partnered with the San Antonio Chapter to judge
entries in the Alamo Regional Science Fair; and in a CNC outreach program; we supported two native
plant boxes that are used in elementary school visits.
Funding was provided to Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) (Bill Ward) to support an intern
who is working on cataloging the native plants of Kendall County. Be on the lookout for these results. In
the meantime you can find out more about BRIT at http://atrium.brit.org .
Community Outreach
Our Tour of Yards (Donna Taylor), free of charge to the community, organized to demonstrate and
feature native plants that survive and thrive with minimal care proved to be a continued resounding
success.
Our NICE! Program (Becky Eterno and contributing writers), promoting a Plant-of-the-Month in chapter
newsletters, posters at participating nurseries and Bill Ward’s newspaper articles, is now visible all over
the state.
Our Bigtooth Maples for Boerne Project (Suzanne Young), funded by a grant from the Lende
Foundation, gave out 102 trees this past season. Since inception in 2006, the ten year program has
given out 425 bigtooth maples to individuals, businesses and city and county offices. A database is
being maintained to allow the Boerne Chapter to track the long term growth of the trees and potentially
provide baseline data for further analysis of their impact on the Boerne community.
A partnership was established (Carolyn Walden) with the City of Boerne to assist with the civic campus
habitat and riparian restoration at the new library site and the new waste water treatment plant to
provide input on plant selections, exotic plant removal, and demonstration garden design.
We now have two Demonstration Gardens (Betty Dunn and Ralph Lay), one at CNC being maintained
by our members and CNC volunteers. The other is located at the Bergheim Volunteer Fire Station and
being maintained by the community as well as our membership.
Twelve plant rescues (Veronica Hawk) were conducted with realtors and property owners alongside
our members.
Special recognition goes to Carolyn Walden for our unsurpassed newsletter. A big thank you is
extended to Tommie Ashburn and Lynn Scoggins for their dedication in organizing the food and drink
at our meetings, to Judi Martin and Rebecca Rogers for putting together our special celebrations, to
Denise Blanchette and Lyn Scoggins for being historians and scrapbooking chapter news, to Delmar
Cain for coordinating the Growers Group and to Bob Rogers for our awesome website.
We have two Sun Award recipients this year, Kit Brenner of the Boerne Star for her dedication to
highlighting our Native Plant messages, and to one other person whose identity I would like to keep
secret until our December celebration.
I would like to leave you with this thought. Listening recently to NPR I caught an interview with Dr.
Sylvia Earle, well-known Oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. A young
student concerned with the shape of our oceans asked what action we could take to mitigate damages.
Dr. Earle replied, “In some ways, we're the luckiest people ever to live on the planet.….This is the first
time in all of human history that we have the capacity to understand how important the natural world is
to every breath we take, every drop of water we drink, everything we care about. Now, we understand,
or have a capacity to understand, that it matters what we do to forests, to rivers, to the ocean, to
wildlife. There was a time not long ago in the middle of the 20th century, when the attitude largely was
that it doesn't matter, that our job is to use natural systems right up to the end and it wouldn't make any
difference. But now, we have the capacity, through satellites in the sky, through submersibles that dive
deep into the sea, through computer technologies that enable us to, for the first time, link things
together.”
I believe what we are doing through our mission as members of NPSOT to promote research,
conservation and use of native plants and plant habitats through education, outreach and example is
pretty much in keeping with Dr. Earle’s response.
There are plant and animal habitat losses in our community, but we are a dynamic organization of
concerned thinkers and doers who are striving toward recovery. We have hope for the future and I
know we will continue to do our best to make Boerne an example for all to follow.
Wilt
Nominees for Next Year’s Chapter Leaders
The nominations committee has compiled a good slate of chapter officers for next year that includes:
 President: Delmar Cain
 Secretary: Mary Frances Anderson
 VP-Programs: Veronica Hawk
 President-elect: Scott Barthel
This slate of candidates will be voted on at the October meeting.
Chapter Doings
NICE! ™ Plant of the Month
Autumn, Tropical and Mountain Sages
(Salvia greggii, coccinea, regla)
Consider one, two or even three Plants of the Month, specifically Three Salvias! – Autumn sage (Salvia
greggii), tropical sage (Salvia coccinea) and mountain sage (Salvia regla). In the US, S. greggii and S.
regla are found naturally only in Texas; S. coccinea can be found in Texas and many southeastern
states.
Autumn sage is a 2-3 foot mounding shrub that is mostly evergreen with soft, fragrant leaves and
flower spikes. This sage, unlike some others, likes and blooms best in the sun. S greggii blooms from
March through November; flower colors ranging from white to various shades of pink, red and purple.
(Picture by Sally and Andy Wasowski and from Lady Bird Johnson Image Gallery).The species name
“greggii” is in honor of Josiah Gregg, a native of Tennessee, who traveled through a large part of Texas
in the 1840s. He kept notes about Texas geology and trees, as well as prevalent attitudes and politics,
which he compiled into two volumes titled “Commerce of the Prairies”, published in 1844. In 1848
during a botanical expedition to western Mexico and California he corresponded with and sent
specimens to eminent botanist George Engelman in St. Louis. The American Botanical Society added
the Latin name “greggii” in his honor to twenty-three species of plants (information from the Lady Bird
Johnson Wildflower Center Plant database).
Tropical sage is a 1-3 foot forb, with soft, fragrant leaves and whorls of white, pink or red flowers on a
spike. It blooms from February through the fall months and can be perennial if the winter is not severe.
However, S. coccinea self seeds so even as an annual you probably will have as many or more than
you need or want. They can be pruned to form a bushy, blooming ground cover. (Picture by Paul Cox,
and from Lady Bird Johnson Image Gallery).
Mountain sage is a 3-6 foot shrub, more upright than wide, with deciduous, heart shaped aromatic
leaves. This sage blooms from July through the fall months with brilliant orange to red flowers. S regal
prefers well-drained rocky soils but is adaptable to other conditions and is disease and insect free.
Once established, periodically prune mountain sage to encourage bushy growth and more blooms,
which occur on new wood. It can be propagated by seed and soft wood cuttings.
All three of these sages are low water users and the flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. They
are also moderately to very deer resistant, although protected until established.
Operation NICE! Tip: These sages reseed easily and will tolerate some shade. Mountain sage
flowers best in full sun. Their pungent foliage makes them fairly deer resistant. Periodically trim and
deadhead to keep bushy and flowering. Autumn sage can be used as a low hedge, while mountain
sage can be used as a medium-height border. The mint-flavored leaves can be dried and used like
culinary sage, and the edible flowers are mildly sweet. There are many excellent salvia species. Try
one of these—or try all three!
Bigtooth Maples or Boerne
We will give away over 100 bigtooth maple trees again this year. This is our 5th year to award maple
trees to qualifying residents, businesses and organizations. October 1 is the deadline for applications.
We purchase our bigtooth maples from Baxter Adams at Love Creek Orchards in Medina
(www.lovecreekorchards.com). Baxter tells me he now has thousands of bigtooth maples and credits
Chuck Janzow for supplying him with more saplings to keep up with the increased demand.
The Agricultural and Heritage Museum continues to allow us to use their place to store and giveaway
our trees. On Thursday, November 18 we are scheduled to cut cages for each tree and help unload 5gallon trees. All those interested in helping, please contact me at: suzanny2@aol.com or call me at
249-8240. The giveaway will be Friday and Saturday, November 19 and 20 from 9:00 - noon. Come out
and meet all the happy caregivers in our community and the start of what we hope will someday be
known as Boerne's "Maplefest".
Guidelines, application and care instructions for the Bigtooth maple project are on our website; click on
the orange maple leaf. Special note to all maple tree owners: weed-eaters harm maples when they
whip the trunk of the tree. The bark of a maple tree is very thin and cannot take a whipping. We have
lost some maples over the years due to this girdling by weed-eaters. NPSOT members need to remind
folks about the danger weed-eaters cause to maples and other trees. We recommend that grass and
weeds around the base of the tree be removed by hand only.
Happy autumn
Bigtooth Maples for Boerne
2010 TOUR OF YARDS
You just have to believe it is all going to work out. Another dreadfully dry summer had yard hosts
worried that drought would again claim the Tour of Yards as it did in 2008. But, with lots of positive
energy and volunteers who where willing to go the distance, not only did the tour happen, it happened
very successfully. The rain of tropical storm Hermine, coupled with the rains of late September, were
exactly what were needed to get the fall blooming plants at their best just in time for the Tour. Exact
counts have not been tallied but it is estimated that between 150-200 attendees made the trek between
the 5 homes on the tour. A plant key with 100 different species of native plants helped attendees
become familiar with the wide variety of native plants available in the Texas Hill County. Brochures and
Catalogs from Native American Seed, Natives of Texas and Medina Gardens educated the locals
about sources available for these wonderful native plants. But even with the perfect timing of the rain
and the natural beauty of our South Texas Native plants, the tour would not have been possible without
those willing to participate and educate first hand. Next time you see these folks, please thank them for
making the 2010 Tour of Yards a success:
Yard Hosts: Bill and Kathy Ward, Sue and Jim Mellard, Missy and Joe Polasek, Cynthia Brown
Yard Volunteers: Anne Adams, Becky Eterno, Betty Dunn, Carolyn Estes, Dave Barrett, Delmar Cain,
Ernie Laurel, John Prushing, Kate Villarreal, Rebecca Rogers, Sheila Gregson, Veronica Hawk, Wilt
Shaw.
Thanks to all for a GREAT 2010 TOUR OF YARDS,
Donna Taylor
Other Happenings
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s fall plant sale will be Saturday October 9, 9 AM–5 PM and
Sunday October 10, 11AM – 5PM. On Friday, October 8 at 11:30 AM, Jim Stanley, of the Kerrville
NPSOT chapter, will give a talk on “Natives Instead of Common (Crummy) Exotics: What is the
Difference and Why do we Care?”
Happenings – the Calendar
October
NPSOT Events
October 5 (Tuesday) 7 PM. – Chapter meeting – Boerne chapter 10th anniversary celebration – see above for
details.
November
NPSOT Events
November 2 (Tuesday) 6:30 PM – Janis Merritt
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
www.alamomasternaturalist.org
Kerrville, Hill Country Chapter
www.hillcountrymasternaturalist.org
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 September-December, at
6:30 p.m. at the Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne, Texas.
Our Sponsors
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Boerne
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Boerne
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830-816-2193
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CENTER
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210-648-1303
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San Antonio
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