The more you grow: ANC to host Texas flora lecture July 9

Hood County residents can let their knowledge about flowers blossom during Acton Nature Center’s community lecture on Sunday, July 9.

The lecture “Texas Flora: Remarkable Natives & Invasives” is set for 2 p.m. at the Opal Durant Acton Community Center at 6430 Smoky Hill Court, and will be led by Matt Turner.

Turner, market researcher at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, will be focusing his lecture on the interesting and obscure stories behind native plants.

“I hope to impress (attendees) with what's remarkable about a lot of the native flora that is around them,” he said. “Floral guides always tell you (a plant’s) name, what they look like, what their Latin name is, and maybe where they grow; that's it, but I wanted to know more. Like, OK, it's a mesquite, it's a prickly pear, it's a bluebonnet, but can you please tell me something about it that would impress me, that would linger in my memory, that would make me sit up in my chair and pay attention to it? There's amazingly rich, interesting stories around a lot of our native flora, and most floral guides don't have the time or space to tell you about them."

Turner said he believes that little-known facts about native plants — whether it be archaeological, historical, material, medicinal, culinary, or cultural facts — enrich our lives and our appreciation of the landscape we inhabit.

Feeling inspired by the lack of “cool” and “interesting” facts regarding native plants out in the world, Turner took matters into his own hands by publishing his first book in 2009, “Remarkable Plants of Texas: Uncommon Accounts of Our Common Natives.”

“I wanted to write about something with nature, but not just purely as a scientist would,” he explained. “I felt that I want to know more about the natural world as a Master Naturalist would want to know — ’Impress me’ ‘Tell me what's cool about this,’ ‘What am I looking at?’ I found it really frustrating that that (particular) knowledge wasn't readily available. When I walk outside and see the local flora, whether it's a pecan tree or a bluebonnet, I'd like to know something more about them. ‘Is it resistant to fire?’ ‘Has it been used by man longer than any other thing?’ I think of it as the plants telling a story, and I'll let it lead me wherever it needs to take me.”

Drawing on his first book, Turner will focus his talk primarily on native trees, shrubs, and herbs common to Hood County.

At the end of his lecture, he’ll turn to his most recent book, “Unnatural Texas?: The Invasive Species Dilemma” to show how culture, shifting attitudes, and unforeseen benefits influence their spread and management.

“I think they will leave knowing a lot of interesting tidbits about the flora that they didn't know before, and it will make them really think differently about the natural world,” Turner said. “I think they will find the natural world much more enriching than they thought.”

Turner has published both scientific and popular articles on botanical topics, and has given more than 75 presentations statewide on natural history and native plants in the landscape. He has also led nature walks at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, the city where he currently resides.

He said he is excited to visit Granbury for the first time and to see the “Best Historic Small Town in America.”

Turner added, "These people are already going to appreciate the natural world already or they wouldn't be coming to this talk, but I hope that they leave more impressed with the natural world than they were before they came.”

During the lecture, Turner’s two books will also be available for purchase and signing.

Individuals who cannot attend the lecture in person can register for the Zoom link by sending an email to actonnaturecenter@gmail.com.