Houston NPSOT Field Trip: Spring Creek Parkway Trailhead at US 59

Date and Time: May 10, 2025 at 9:00am

Meeting Location:  Spring Creek Parkway Trailhead (Spring Creek Pkwy Trailhead at 59 in Google Maps) on the west side of US 59/I 69 in Humble, Texas (GPS: 30.02581, -95.263713)

Field Trip Overview: This portion of the Spring Creek trail is situated on old Spring Creek depositional feature and contains deep sands. We will walk and look for openings in the forested portions of the trail for areas that contain bluejack oak (Quercus incana), post oak (Q. stellata), tropic croton (Croton glandulosa), Reverchon’s spiderwort (Tradescantia reverchonii), slender scratch daisy (Croptilon divaricatum), viperina (Zornia bracteata) and other deep sand specialist. We will then walk off trail to seepage slopes dominated by netted chain fern (Woodwardia areolata), royal fern (Osmunda regalis), and Kunth’s maiden fern (Thelypteris kunthii). This area also contains some other interesting species such primrose-leaved violet (Viola primulifolia), greater marsh St. Johnswort (Hypericum walteri), and several uncommon sedges (Carex and Eleocharis species). We will then explore somel floodplain/bottomland forested communities dominated by bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), water oak (Quercus nigra), willow oak (Q. phellos), cherrybark oak (Q. pagoda), American elm (Ulmus americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennslyvanica), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Two-winged silverbell (Halesia diptera) should be in full bloom in the understory. It is also one of the only places Andy knows were to find tung oil tree (Vernicia fordii) growing wild in Harris County.

Additional Site Information: https://www.bayoulandconservancy.org/spring-creek-greenway