Texas Wildbuds
Spring 2026
Lower Rio Grande Valley
We visited the Rio Grande Valley again in March, 2026, during the persistent drought. Three days were spent from a base in Mission visiting two state parks: Bensten-Rio Grande Valley in Mission and Resaca de la Palma near Brownville, plus the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near Alamo. This was followed by a stay up the Rio Grande at Falcon Lake. On our way back to Austin we stopped for a couple nights at Lake Casa Blanca in Laredo…click here to see the plants we found there.
The Valley yielded many flowering plants, including 32 new species for this collection,. All the new ones we found are listed in the table below. Eight have been processed as you can see in the photos below, and I’ll add the rest soon.
Please contact me if you have any comments or corrections to my IDs. Thank you.
Abutilon abutiloides
Adelia vaseyi
Aloysia macrostachya
Argemone aenea
Argemone sanguinea
Capraria mexicana
Castela erecta
Croton ciliatoglandulifer
Dicliptera sexangularis
Ebenopsis ebano
Ehretia anacua
Erythrostemon mexicanus
Hibiscus martianus
Indigofera spicata
Jatropha dioica var. dioica
Justicia turnerii
Krameria ramosissima
Lantana velutina
Leucaena pulverulenta
Lippia origanoides
Malpighia glabra
Medranoa palmeri
Melampodium cinereum
Melochia tomentosa
Palafoxia texana
Parkinsonia texana
Phaulothamnus spinescens
Schaefferia cuneifolia
Senegalia berlandieri
Tamaulipa azurea
Thymophylla tenuiloba
Tillandsia usneoides
Vachellia bravoensis
Waltheria indica
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2026
Every attempt is made to provide accurate, up-to-date, and relevant information, but the completeness or accuracy of any information presented on this website cannot be guaranteed. I use authoritative references to insure high standards of accuracy and review and update the information frequently.