Home >> Science & Nature >> Nature

Wildflowers Found in Stockdale, Texas

Most of Wilson County, including the area around Stockdale, consists primarily of Post Oak Savannah, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department map of the Gould Ecoregions of Texas, while the far southern part of the county falls within the South Texas Plains ecoregion. To the north is Blackland Prairie with the Edwards Plateau just north of that. Together these four regions produce an abundant variety of wildflowers throughout most of the year, many of which may be found in the Stockdale area.

Cross Region Common Wildflowers
- Trumpet creeper vine is commonly found throughout the regions surrounding Stockdale.
  
  Since plant life in any given area does not recognize map lines or regional boundaries it is inevitable that there will be some species overlap between regions. This is certainly true of wildflowers found in the Stockdale area. Some that are common to all the surrounding ecoregions are the state flower, the Texas bluebonnet, and sound-alike Texas bluebells. Coral honeysuckle vine is another common wildflower, as are several varieties of flowering creeper vines, yucca, boneset and sage.
Post Oak Savannah
- Butterfly weed is common in the Post Oak Savannah and neighboring regions.
  
  Post Oak Savannah is an area of transition between woodlands to the east and prairies to the west. It consists of a clay pan-type of soil forming gently rolling hills and flatlands. Wildflowers unique to this region include the Maximilian sunflower, prairie larkspur, winecup and yellow passionvine. Butterfly weed and cardinal flower grow here as well as across neighboring regions, as do coralbean, Turk's cap and lantana, a flowering shrub.
South Texas Plains
- All agaves flower only once and die soon after they bloom.
  
  A semi-arid warm region subject to frequent droughts and intermittent rains that causes wildflowers to bloom almost any time of year, the South Texas Plains is fairly flat with mostly low-growing vegetation. Wildflowers endemic to this region include agave, heartleaf hibiscus, lila de los llanos and purple phacelia. Engelmann daisies grow here and also in the Edwards Plateau to the north. Flowering shrubs include rose pavonia and cenizo.
Blackland Prairie
- Purple coneflower (or echinacea) is endemic to the Blackland Prairie.
  
  This slightly rolling to level region of rich, fertile, black soil is almost entirely devoted to farmland today, although its wild state is primarily grassland. Wildflowers unique to the Blackland Prairie include purple coneflower (also known as echinacea, a common healing herb) and the prairie rose. Indian paintbrush and brown-eyed Susan are found here as well in neighboring regions. Buttonbush, with its unusual, spiky, spherical flowers blooms here and in the Post Oak Savannah throughout the summer.
Edwards Plateau
- Columbine is commonly found throughout the Edwards Plateau and other areas.
  
  A few miles to the north and west of Stockdale lies the large Edwards Plateau, often referred to as the Texas Hill Country. This is a rugged hilly, fertile landscape filled with many wildflower varieties. More than a quarter of the over 400 species of plants endemic to Texas are found in this region, including unique wildflowers such as bracted twist-flower, golden-wave, greenthread, red gaillardia, and red prickly poppy, some of which may also occasionally be found farther south. Commoner flowers like columbine and Turk's cap are also well represented here and in Stockdale.

Nature