GARDENING WITH NATIVES: Planting non-native plants 
can make the native species ... restless. That's 
coming up on Passport to Texas.
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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife. 

Sure, everyone loves instant color when planting 
flowers and shrubs, but plants can provide more than 
visual appeal. Our choice of plants can often affect 
the long-term needs of Texas wildlife that depend on 
native varieties. 

"Usually they are producing fruits or nectar, some kind of food 
source that's desirable. A lot of them are host plants for our 
native butterflies and monarchs; some of them are good 
hummingbird nectar sources. Many of them have berries that 
are good for birds. Native trees are hosts for all kinds of 
insects, that are in turn food for our native birds." :22

Dana Price is a botanist with Texas Parks and 
Wildlife. She says not only do native plants help feed 
wildlife, but they also sustain our needs by providing 
low-maintenance upkeep, even in the harshest 
conditions.

"Our native plants are very well adapted to the climate and to 
the weather in Texas, which yes is very extreme a lot of times." 
:06

Wildscaping is a term used for planting and maintaining 
native vegetation for wildlife conservation. The goal is to 
provide places for birds, small mammals, and other 
wildlife to feed and drink, escape from predators and raise 
their young. 

Texas Parks and Wildlife has put together a very detailed 
on-line resource guide on this practice. Find it on the 
Texas Parks and Wildlife Web site.

That's our show for today. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, 
I'm Cecilia Nasti.