Plants

wild women illustration with the "O" being a sketch of a woman's face framed with flowers
March 2020 Issue

Seeds of Knowledge: Female Pioneers of Texas Botany

Ynes Mexia was a plant collector and explorer; Maude Young was state botanist and textbook author.

Story by Louie Bond
onion plant stalks
November 2019 Issue

Use Your Nose to Find Wild Onions

Texas has 14 species of this edible plant.

Story by Texas Parks and Wildlife
a brown and tan bird on a branch with a red berry in its beak
January/February 2019 Issue

Yaupon Holly and Possumhaw Brighten the Winter Landscape

Red berries from the small trees feed birds and mammals.

Story by Texas Parks and Wildlife
ball moss growing in the fork of two limbs.
December 2018 Issue

Ball Moss Lives in Trees but Doesn’t Harm Them

The flowering plant is often seen on dead branches.

Story by Eva Frederick
platter of plums some sliced in half
August/September 2018 Issue

Sand Plums Are a Sweet and Tangy Treat

These Texas plums serve as bird hotels, critter buffets and the perfect ingredient for summer jam.

Story by Eva Frederick
Mexican Buckeye tree with pink flowers
October 2016 Issue

How to Identify the Mexican Buckeye

It can look like a redbud or peach tree but it's not. Well, it’s not a true buckeye either.

Story by Dyanne Fry Cortez
water hyacinth floating in the water
October 2016 Issue

Water Hyacinth Is Pretty, Purple and a Pest

The lovely blooms of the water hyacinth can turn a waterway into a tangled mess.

Story by Dyanne Fry Cortez
giant reeds lining a river
July 2016 Issue

Invasive Giant Reed and Salt Cedar Disrupt Riverbanks

Riparian invaders displace native plants and degrade instream habitat for aquatic life.

Story by Dyanne Fry Cortez
purple prairie clover standing tall
July 2015 Issue

Prairie Clovers Come in All Shapes and Sizes

The plants are good indicators of healthy prairie.

Story by Jason Singhurst
a lone white prickly poppy
May 2015 Issue

Prickly Poppy Lives Up to Its Name

Plant has some uses, though stems are studded with spines.

Story by Dyanne Fry Cortez
Advertisement
The October 2024 cover of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, featuring a surfer riding a wave along the Texas Gulf Coast

Subscribe to the Magazine for Only $2.

Enjoy a full year of our award-winning photos, travel recommendations, and much more! Plus, the digital subscription includes more than 600 articles and future updates while the subscription is active.