Texas - Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center Highlights

Providing native plants and planting strategies for restoring South Texas habitats

Thirty-four South Texas native plant releases have been developed to restore South Texas habitats. Thirty-one of these releases were in partnership with the Texas Native Seeds program.
Developed and evaluated the widely successful South Texas Ecotype Approach. This approach to rangeland restoration utilizes ecotype seed releases and early successional species to achieve an 80% success rate on over 30 field plantings.
Under a Monarch Grant, we along with our partner Texas Native Seeds, collected, evaluated, and increased seed for an upcoming release of zizotes milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides).
This Monarch Grant also provided additional resources to enhance production and commercialization of an additional native pollinator species, Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella), which was released in 2020.
We are currently conducting studies on additional species for pollinator use: roundhead prairie clover, Engelmann’s daisy, Maximillian sunflower, red sage, and frostweed.

Providing plants and technologies to stabilize erosion on critical sites

Provided assistance to Cameron County and other South Texas counties to restore sand dunes and stabilize coastal shorelines.
Provided assistance to the National Park Service Palo Alto Battlefield in the restoration of historically significant gulf cordgrass prairie.

Providing plants, technology and information for the long-term sustainability of South Texas agricultural lands

Evaluation of tillage systems and cover crops for the improvement of soil health in South Texas.
Legume evaluations for crop rotations and livestock utilization.
Cooperating with Dr. Tom Juenger at the University of Texas to evaluate and understand the genetic and environment interaction on switchgrass production.
Continued evaluation of switchgrass for greater drought tolerance and improved seedling establishment in South Texas.