Answer:
Plant Guidance by Ecoregions
Ecoregion 9 – High Plains
Extending from the Panhandle south to the Pecos River, the High Plains have been described as a sea of waving grasslands. The 20 million acres of this region fills most of the “handle portion” of the state. It is a relatively high and level plateau of sandy to heavy, dark calcareous clay soils over an impervious layer of caliche. The winters here are the coldest in Texas, with the average annual temperature being only 59 degrees. Rainfall ranges from 21 inches in the east to about 12 inches in the west. Sun and wind rob the soil of even the meager water it receives from these rainfalls. Today, most of the High Plains is irrigated by the vast Ogallala formation.
Classified as mixed plain and short-grass prairie, vegetation in the High Plains varies – highly dependent on location. Hardlands or mixed lands, sandy lands or caliche lakes, all give rise to a very different plant community. Honey mesquite and yucca have invaded some areas that were characteristically free of trees and brush. Sand sage and shinnery oak have spread through most of the sandy lands.
Playa lakes play an essential role in this region, and they are the prime waterfowl wintering grounds for the North American Central Flyway.
The regions other name, “Llano Estacado” or “Staked Plains” is believed to refer to the first European settlers who drove stakes into the ground to help guide them across this featureless region. These early pioneers found a vast carpet of short grasses that were home to enormous herds of buffalo and pronghorn antelope. This was also the home of the Comanches.
The original character of the High Plains has been forever changed by the plow, however unique areas still remain including some scattered sand dunes cloaked with Harvard shin-oak, sandsage, and little bluestem. Tallgrass meadows can still be found waving in the breezes along the Canadian and Red Rivers. While few rivers actually cross the High Plains, these meager water sources along the Canadian and Red Rivers one sustained luxuriant growths of tall willows and cottonwoods. Russian olive and tamarisk, two introduced species from the Old World, now replace these native trees along the rivers, altering the natural habitat of kingbirds and phoebes. Grasses still provide cover and nesting habitats for myriads of other birds, and belts of trees planted in the 1930s provide shelter to an amazing diversity of wildlife. While the Gray Wolf and elk no longer occur on the High Plains, mountain lions, coyote, Red-tailed Hawk and swift fox now crown the food chain. While greatly reduced, scattered populations of Lesser Prairie-chicken still boom to announce the coming of spring across the region while flocks of Lark Buntings and Horned Larks ply the skies over this restless sea of grass.
Plants for the High Plains
Trees
Plains cottonwood
Honey mesquite
Bur oak
Western soapberry
Net-leaf hackberry
Silver-leaf mountain mahogany
Mohr oak
Lance-leaf sumac
Texas redbud
Prairie crabapple
Shrubs
Oklahoma plum
Common choke-cherry
Sand sage
Fourwing saltbush
Silver agarita
Feather dalea
Winter fat
Harvard shin-oak
Little-leaf sumac
Conifers
Rocky mountain juniper
Eastern red cedar
Colorado pinyon pine
Succulents
Teddy-bear cholla
Narrow-leaf yucca
Plains yucca
Vines
Old man’s beard
Snapdragon vine
Vine milkweed
Canyon grape
Grasses
Western wheatgrass
Cane bluestem
Sideoats grama
Blue grama
Buffalograss
Ear muhly
New Mexico little bluestem
Wildflowers
Winecup
Purple coneflower
Englemann daisy
Blackfoot daisy
Missouri evening primrose
Pink plains penstemon
Mealy sage
Copper-mallow
Indian blanket
Texas bluebonnet
Tahoka daisy
Prairie verbena
