Suzanne Simpson
Meet The Author Suzanne Simpson New book encourages you to take walk on Houston’s wild side Suzanne Simpson is a Houston-based ecologist working to protect the natural landscapes that define Texas. She maintains certification as a professional ecologist from the Ecological Society of America and is a trained Texas Master Naturalist.
Meet The Author
Meet The Author
Wildlife at the Garden
Nature’s Medicine Cabinet BENEFICIAL QUALITIES OF PLANTS Healing Yarrow Achillea milefolium, commonly known as Yarrow, has been used for millennia as a powerful medicinal plant around the world. Yarrow was found in the teeth of Neanderthal skulls in Spain dated to 60,000 years ago. Legend tells that Achilles, the great warrior in the battle of Troy, used yarrow to clean his wounds and stop the bleeding. There are around 130…
Nature’s Medicine Cabinet
Nature’s Medicine Cabinet BENEFICIAL QUALITIES OF PLANTS Healing Yarrow Achillea milefolium, commonly known as Yarrow, has been used for millennia as a powerful medicinal plant around the world. Yarrow was found in the teeth of Neanderthal skulls in Spain dated to 60,000 years ago. Legend tells that Achilles, the great warrior in the battle of Troy, used yarrow to clean his wounds and stop the bleeding. There are around 130…
Native Texas Foods
Native Texas Foods FAVORITES THROUGHOUT HISTORY Pecan Care Many of us have seen majestic and productive pecan trees in neighborhoods near us. Seeing these lovely trees thriving can be quite the motivator to try growing pecans at home. While the idea of growing pecans can be quite attractive, unfortunately, the effort to grow them can make the reality less pleasant. Pecans are messy; they attract pests, most notably squirrels and bag…
Native Grasslands
Native Grasslands ENDANGERED COASTAL PRAIRIE Planting to Support Wildlife The Houston Botanic Garden is an urban oasis for birds. The Garden’s diversity of native plants, wide open space, and plentiful food and shelter offer ideal habitat for migrating birds. Houston Audubon has counted almost 140 species of birds on site, a number that has grown by almost 40 percent since work began in the spring of 2019 to take the…
Fungi
Friendly Fungi SOIL BIOLOGY Forest Floor Biodiversity Plant root systems are active and complex. There is more than meets the eye in these seemingly simple – typically out-of-view below ground – forms. The root exists in the rhizosphere, a wonderfully alive zone filled with bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Plant roots secrete a solution known as exudate to manage, nourish, and protect this zone. Chemical messages from the exudate communicate to nearby…
Culinary
Culinary Garden EDIBLE & MEDICINAL PLANTS Growing Tomatoes Tomatoes are self-pollinating, meaning they have both male and female parts within one flower. Pollination results when bees get into the flower and vibrate (a sort of pollination dance). Wind can also create a similar vibration, while gardeners can also pollinate tomato plants with their hands or a toothbrush. The Incas and Aztecs, who first found the delicious and juicy fruit growing wild…
Butterflies
Beautiful Butterflies GARDENING FOR POLLINATORS Pollinator Syndromes The co-evolution of flowering plants and pollinators, like butterflies, is awe-inspiring. Each organism involved in the pollination process has evolved morphological characteristics to ensure the most successful interaction possible. Flower type, shape, color, odor, nectar, and structure vary by the type of pollinator they wish to attract, and that specific pollinator’s vision, mouthparts, sense of smell, and physical capabilities fit these flowers perfectly! These…
Bananas
Bananas VERSATILE FRUIT Panama Disease Did you know that the common bananas you get from the grocery store are all the same variety? The Cavendish is now the most common banana, although that was not always the case. Until the later 19th century, the Gros Michelle was the most delicious and popular banana variety. Unfortunately, Panama disease (Fusarium oxysporum) decimated the global plantations growing the Gros Michel banana in the 1950’s and…