Our Wild Texas – October 2024

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sent this bulletin at 10/17/2024 03:00 PM CDT

It's Time to Plant a Patch for Pollinators

Monarchs and a queen butterfly on Gregg's mistflower

Autumn in Texas is the best time to plant, so now's the time to add on to your pollinator garden – or start one! Even a city balcony can transform into a pollinator patch. Keep these 4 tips in mind when you choose plants:

Native plants are the ideal choice – they don't need much water and can withstand Texas heat. Find a local nursery with a native plants section.
Annual plants must reseed or be replanted. Most annuals you see at nurseries are not natives. Perennials will grow back each year.
Note how long the sun shines on your patch – some flowering plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun, some bloom in semi-shade.
Seeds will save you money and cover a lot of ground, but they can take time, like planting wildflower seeds in fall for spring blooms. Installing already-blooming plants into your garden will attract pollinators right away.

For more tips, see How to Plant a Pollinator Garden, and watch our short video Get Started with Native Plants.

Add a Wild Bee Condo to Your Space

Texas has 800+ different species of wild bees, also called native, stingless or solitary bees. They co-evolved with native flowers to physically fit together, so they're very effective pollinators. This partnership of thousands of years continues today in your garden of native flowering plants.

One way our native bees differ from honeybees is that most don't have the instinct to defend a hive, so it's unlikely they'll sting. Find out more about what makes wild bees different in our video Honeybees vs. Native Pollinators – Tips from a Wildlife Biologist.

You can support our wild bees with the shelter of a bee condo, also called a bee block or house. They're affordable and easy to find, or you can build one. It's great fun to watch the different kinds of bees fly in and out, and you can I.D. them using iNaturalist. For more about bee condos, watch our short video The Bee Condo: Attract Non-aggressive, Solitary Bees to Help Pollination.

Plants for Wildlife: Flame Acanthus + Mistflower

Giant yellow swallowtail on flame acanthus

Giant swallowtail butterfly on flame acanthus

Native perennials flame acanthus and Gregg's mistflower withstand Texas heat and drought, and continue to bloom year after year.

Flame acanthus is covered in tubular red flowers summer through fall, supporting hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators that find them irresistible.

Monarch butterfly on Gregg's blue mistflower

Monarch butterfly on Gregg's mistflower

Gregg's mistflower sports clusters of pale purple flowers that are a magnet for monarchs and other butterflies – plus birds eat their seeds.

Check anywhere native plants are sold for these 2 popular plants. Plant them in fall, so they're established by summer.

Monarch butterfly CLP license plate, with link

Don't Miss the Pollinator Bioblitz!

Native bee covered in pollen on flower, link

One of the best events of fall is the fun and free Texas Pollinator Bioblitz, happening Oct. 11-27. Join in this annual celebration by taking photos of pollinators like beetles, moths, bats, bees, hummingbirds, flies, wasps and butterflies, then posting them on social media or iNaturalist with #TxPollinators. Don't forget to check out what other Bioblitzers have found while you're there!

Other ways to join in:

Sign up for emailed prompts, like, "Find a striped pollinator."
Join events near you. They're happening around the state, taking place day and night (nocturnal pollinators!).

The Pollinator Bioblitz is a great way to get out and enjoy the cool weather, see some things you may have never noticed before, and become part of the Pollinator Bioblitz community. We'll see you out there!

A message from our non-profit partner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation:

Introducing TPWF’s New Pollinators & Prairies Program!

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) is launching a new Pollinators & Prairies program to help native pollinators and prairies thrive.

Through Pollinators & Prairies, TPWF is working with dedicated conservation partners to increase healthy prairie habitat and pollinator populations, encouraging Texans to plant native grasses and wildflowers, and funding critical research to guide management strategies for our vital pollinators.

“We are delighted to collaborate with our many conservation partners on the ground to make a difference for pollinators and prairies in Texas,” said TPWF Executive Director Anne Brown.

The program is generously supported by presenting sponsor H-E-B, with additional support from Phillips 66.

Pollinators & Prairies

A message from our non-profit partner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation:

H-E-B’s Texas Native Plant Week Celebration

Bluebonnet and buttercup/primrose blossoms, link

This week marks Native Plant Week in Texas, and H-E-B is celebrating by featuring a diverse array of Texas native plants at 200+ stores from October 14-30. TPWF and the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) have teamed up with H-E-B to encourage Texans to plant native wildflowers and grasses for pollinators.

Pick up a free pocket prairie seed mix packet at one of 18 select H-E-B stores on Sat., Oct. 19, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and NPSOT volunteers will be there to answer your questions about pollinator gardening.

A message from our sponsor:

Messages from Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine advertisers:

South Texas Ecotourism Center ad with link

Our Wild Texas is made possible in part by the generous support of Toyota.

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