Wildflowers of the East End Lagoon - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour
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English - November 14, 2021 03:00 - 1 minute - 906 KBHistory Society & Culture Places & Travel galveston texas history audio tour free island education texas history historic Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Explore the East End Lagoon!
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Notable Resources for the Nature Trail!
Audubon Society : https://www.audubon.org/#
Donate to the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve : http://www.eastendlagoon.org/support
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
https://www.wildflower.org
Wildflowers of the East End Lagoon
Few days in years pass when the Lagoon is not accented by the color of Wildflowers.
Wildflowers here are not oppressively seasonal; never is there a time when some plant or shrub isn't blooming. From the salt tolerant plants that flourish on the salt pannes, to the prairie plants that only grow in the uplands, the Lagoon is embellished by the blush of coastal wildflowers.
The key to learning coastal wildflowers is to first learn about their preferred haunts. A few inches can make the difference given the lack of elevation along the coast. Only a few plants can tolerate the salinity of the salt pannes and flats. Along the roads that circle the Lagoon, however, rainwater draining front the pavement creates a unique roadside habitat vegetated by the plants often found farther inland.
Many of the flowers along the East Lagoon Nature Trail are large and brightly colored. Others, though, are small and obscure. The key to finding a diversity of flowers along the trail and around the a=lagoon is to be patient and look closely. Also, remember that different flowers bloom at different times of the year. You will need to visit the Lagoon frequently to see them all!
Maritime Plants
Only a handful of plants can tolerate the high salinity of the Lagoon waters. The pannes and flats that surround the Lagoon are perfect for salt-tolerant grasses and plants such as smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and glasswort (Salicornia sp.)
Black Mangrove
Black mangroves (Avicennia germanians) are only found along the GUlf coast and the Florida Atlantic coast in the United States. IN, Texas, this mangrove only spread north to Galveston. In cool winters, black mangrove will freeze back to the roots, only to sprout with even greater vigor the following spring.