As summer begins to wind down, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is encouraging Texans to start planning their fall planting projects, with the season offering an ideal opportunity to establish native plants.
Cooler temperatures and seasonal rainfall in the fall can give newly planted native species a better chance to establish roots and bloom in time to provide food and habitat for pollinators in the spring.
For Texans who want to create a pollinator-friendly outdoor space but aren't sure where to begin, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation's Wild Thumb app offers a way to get started.
Wild Thumb is a native planting app designed specifically for Texas and is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The free app helps users select native plants and seed mixes appropriate for their region based on their ZIP code.
The app can be used for projects ranging from a few potted plants on a porch to a new garden bed or an entire pocket prairie.
Wild Thumb also includes an interactive design tool that allows users to drag and drop plants onto plots of various shapes and sizes, making it possible to plan a pollinator-friendly space before planting.
Step-by-step guidance, watering reminders, freeze alerts and a directory of Texas nurseries that sell native plants are also included in the app.
More than 27,000 Texans have downloaded Wild Thumb to date, joining an effort to expand native Texas plant habitats that benefit bees, butterflies, beetles, hummingbirds, moths and other pollinators.
The app is part of TPWF's Pollinators & Prairies program, which encourages Texans to create native habitat in yards and communities across the state.
The program is powered by Presenting Sponsor H-E-B Our Texas, Our Future and Contributing Sponsor Phillips 66.
Wild Thumb app