Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Sunday - March 23, 2008
From: Leander, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Plants found only in the Edwards Plateau of Texas area
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I am new to Austin, Texas and I am working with a group of 4th grade Cub Scouts on their Naturalist and Forester pins and we need to know about and have pictures of at least 6 trees and plants only found in our area. Can you help me with this??? Thanks so much.ANSWER:
The difficulty here was in figuring out what would qualify as the "area." I started with Travis County, and quickly realized that there were very few endemic (found only in one area) plants to Travis County, and that they had small populations and would be difficult to find and even more difficult to get a picture. Finally, I settled on the Edwards Plateau. See this map of the Vegetational Areas of Texas to get a feel for the area we are dealing with. This North American Regional Center of Endemism has a study on the botany of the Edwards Plateau and we were able to find quite a few to research a little further. You have to realize that many of these plants are probably now found in other areas, due to cultivation or transplant, but that is about as close to "only found in this area" as we can get. Please caution your Scouts not to go out looking for these, as some of them are endangered, with very small populations remaining in the wild. They should not be disturbed.
Click on each plant link to get a webpage of information about it, with pictures.
Styrax platanifolius (sycamoreleaf snowbell)
Styrax platanifolius ssp. texanus (Texas snowbell)
Salvia penstemonoides (big red sage)
Streptanthus bracteatus (bracted jewelflower)
Philadelphus ernestii (canyon mock orange)
Philadelphus texensis (Texas mock orange)
Penstemon triflorus (Heller's beardtongue)
Seymeria texana (Texas blacksenna)
Hesperaloe parviflora (redflower false yucca)
Perityle lindheimeri (Lindheimer's rockdaisy)
Tradescantia edwardsiana (plateau spiderwort)
Chaetopappa bellidifolia (whiteray leastdaisy)
Buddleja racemosa (wand butterflybush)
Garrya ovata ssp. lindheimeri (Lindheimer's silktassel)
Verbesina lindheimeri (Lindheimer's crownbeard)
More Trees Questions
Transplant shock in pecan tree in Garner NC
July 19, 2012 - I transplanted a pecan tree about 3 weeks ago & been watering it 3 times a day. The leaves are turning brown & crumbly before I water it. After I water it, the leaves are brown but I can scratch the t...
view the full question and answer
Non-native crape myrtles in Noblesville IN
August 01, 2012 - Can Crepe Myrtle trees be grown in Noblesville IN 46060? I believe we are zone five.
view the full question and answer
Should wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) wood be burned in a fireplace
January 29, 2010 - Mr. Smarty Pants,
Could you please tell me if Wax Myrtle is a hardwood or softwood? Our neighbor had to cut down his as they had grown into trees from the previous owners. We would like to burn t...
view the full question and answer
Patio materials under a native oak trees in Missouri
March 02, 2009 - Is it safe to build a pavestone patio (with gravel sub base, Geo tech 101 fabric and sand bed..around two 50+ year old native oak trees? I know concrete would compact and cause damage to the surface ...
view the full question and answer
Native trees of Hornsby Bend in Austin, TX
April 10, 2013 - We are looking for a list of the trees occurring along and in the vicinity of the Colorado River at Hornsby Bend circa 1820.
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
