“Madrone Lore and More” – How to Plant a Madrone Tree
Presented by David Winningham, Ph.D.
Owner of Natives of Texas Nursery, Specializing in Madrones
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
What: Fredericksburg Native Plant Society Meeting
Topic: “Madrone Lore and More”- How to Plant a Madrone Tree
Brief: The enigmatic Madrone tree is the poster child of the Hill Country’s disappearing specialty understory trees. Highly prized because of its unique bark, blossoms, and berries, the slow growing Madrone tree is rarely found in the wild and is very difficult to grow in a domesticated setting. David Winningham, owner of Natives of Texas Nursery, will share his eight-year long journey of learning how to cultivate Madrones. He promises to teach us how to “plant” a Madrone tree and will give a few tips on how to “grow” one, though he cautions that nature is actually in charge of the latter process.
Dr. Winningham is a real-life “rocket scientist”, having spent his professional career with NASA. As retirement neared, he and his late wife spent over four years looking for the perfect retirement location in the Hill Country. They found their paradise eleven miles south of Kerrville on acreage with soaring cliffs, spring-fed flowing waters and Madrone trees. After tackling removal of cedar and other restoration projects, the Natives of Texas Nursery emerged, specializing in hard to find native plants and trees; most significantly, the Madrone.
Date: October 22, 2019
Time: 6:30 p.m.-Light refreshments and social; 7:00 p.m.- meeting