Conservation

Texas Wildflower Gains Protection

The bracted twistflower, a Texas wildflower at risk from growing urban sprawl, has been declared a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The tall, bright purple flower, which has seen significant decline across its range in the rapidly developing Interstate 35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio, will receive protection under the Endangered Species Act. Close to 1,600 acres across four Texas counties — Uvalde, Medina, Bexar and Travis — have been designated critical habitat for the plant.

The protection, which comes after the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the federal agency, will lead to the development of a recovery plan to reintroduce the plant and prescribe conservation actions. It will also make removing, cutting, digging up or harming the plant illegal.

The Endangered Species Act defines a threatened species as “any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” The bracted twistflower has lost habitat to development, white-tailed deer and non-native grazing animals.

The once-thriving Hill Country wildflower blooms in the spring and requires specific soil found only near the edge of the Edwards Plateau region. It also needs subsurface water and a mix of sun and shade that’s provided by ashe juniper trees and live oaks. Lavender-colored flowers supply nectar and pollen for Texas bee species.

“This is a species that could be recovered within a few decades if its remaining habitats are managed appropriately,” Chris Best, state botanist for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Texas, said in a press release.

Conservationists say wildflower populations are increasingly separated from each other. Pollinators that ensure reproduction, such as bees, are unable to fly to farther-flung locations. The isolation causes a loss of genetic diversity and hurts the plant’s ability to adapt to other threats.

The flower is the second Texas plant the federal agency has listed under the Endangered Species Act this year. In March, it added prostrate milkweed, a rare plant crucial for the survival of monarch butterflies, to the list. All 24 known populations of prostrate milkweed are found along the border within 8 miles of the Rio Grande.