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Memorial Park Conservancy

4 days ago

1, 2, 3! You can see the entire lifecycle of a Monarch butterfly in Memorial Park. From caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, Monarchs love the swamp milkweed! #wildlifewednesday ... See MoreSee Less

Memorial Park Conservancy

6 days ago

What's that plant? We get asked frequently about what's in these photos. Before you keep reading, do you know what it is?

Answer: Bahiagrass. A non-native grass, Bahiagrass was brought to Texas as a fodder plant for grazers and quickly spread. You'll hear it referred to as a "roadside grass" - it is frequently included in seed mixtures used by Departments of Transportation because it's very low maintenance and has an ability to grow and thrive in rough conditions that would kill other types of grasses (like harsh climates, drought, disease, insects, or poor soil conditions). Bahiagrass includes the grass lawn itself and the most noticeable feature: a 1-1.5 foot Y-shaped seedhead. Like all the grass in the Park, the Bahiagrass gets mowed regularly on a schedule. So why does it seem like you see seedheads frequently even when the grass is short? The seedheads grow much faster than the lawn itself. Our team works hard to keep the mowed areas in the Park looking great, but mowing as often as it would take to keep the seedheads down would lead to even more compacted soil which would further allow weeds to thrive. So next time you spot a patch of seedheads, know that it's because they grow at a faster rate than can be mowed! ... See MoreSee Less