Elephant ears, nandina, air potato vines. These plants thrive in our warm, humid climate and can be found throughout The Woodlands. But did you know that these are invasive plants that will aggressively take over native plants and flowers which provide food and shelter for pollinators?
Upright, showy blue to purple bell shaped blooms set this Texas native apart. Found on prairies across Texas, this once prevalent flower thrives near creek beds, streams and rain gardens. Read on for more about this pollinator magnet that blooms all summer starting in June.
It’s now in early spring when the eastern monarchs descend from the oyamel firs and move northward through Texas, allowing us to re-appreciate their beauty and marvel at their incredible stamina, navigational abilities, and the unique spectacle that is the monarch migration. Once 700 million strong, monarch populations have crashed by 85% or more. Find out why, and how you can create a safe haven in your yard for these vibrant visitors.
Vibrant violet-blue blooms set this Texas native apart. Thriving in nearly any growing condition—including shade—makes this a great choice for any yard. Read on for more about this honeybee magnet that blooms for months starting this month.
At first glance, a pollinator garden may look like any other pretty flower garden. But for a garden to be a haven for native bees, butterflies, and moths, it needs to meet their needs for all life stages. And the most important ingredient are plants rich in nectar and pollen to feed adult pollinators and
It’s undeniable. There seems to be a universal human response to the majesty of trees. Trees do us a lot of good and not all their benefits are visible by the eye. These benefits are often grouped by their social, environmental, and economic qualities. Social benefits One might say that trees help make us happier.
You’ve seen it. The luminous post-shower greenness of a lawn; the sudden growth spurt of a plant that didn’t seem to be doing much at all; or the effervescence of new blooms on an otherwise sleepy plant. Why are these effects so evident after a good rain and absent with irrigation? What’s the magic of rain?
The relative virtues and problems associated with tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, continue to be a hot topic within the monarch conservation community, but the disparity between the two is becoming more and more clear. Scientific research suggests that its problems, namely its link to the spread of the Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) disease, far out-weigh its
One thoughtful action can help promote both: Think before you fertilize. All too often, lawns are fertilized too heavily, at the wrong time, or when they don’t need it at all—thanks to the formidable marketing efforts by fertilizer companies. Instead of automatically reaching for your spreader, consider what your lawn really needs and the consequences
It’s an iconic symbol of the season. Porches, lamp posts, benches and steps are decorated with pumpkins—they are so ubiquitous that today 80% of the pumpkins grown in the U.S. are available in the month of October alone. The jack-o-lantern For Halloween, these orange orbs are often carved with ghoulish faces illuminated with candles to
