Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens maintains wild collected seeds for Phlox nivalis spp. texensis dating to 1993. Mercer also banks subsets of rare seeds collected from field surveys and from propagation work with our collaborating CPC institution, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO (formerly called the National Seed Storage Laboratories).

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens maintains wild collected seeds for Phlox nivalis spp. texensis dating to 1993. Mercer also banks subsets of rare seeds collected from field surveys and from propagation work with our collaborating CPC institution, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO (formerly called the National Seed Storage Laboratories).

Plants produced for educational display gardens or for specific restoration and reintroduction projects are produced within Mercers nursery greenhouses and within our Conservation Area. The Conservation Area provides secure, raised beds for mass propagation of plants/seeds. Each bed is provided with independently controlled irrigation and substrates that meet the unique requirements for each species. Populations are propagated separately to insure genetic purity. Mercer staff and volunteers maintain an expanding population of Phlox nivalis spp. texensis as a permanent educational exhibit within our Endangered Species Garden. These plants often bloom throughout the year and bloom most prolifically during the Spring. Plants self-sow and spread via rhizomes. The Endangered Species Garden, established in 1994 with support from Star Enterprises, displays rare native plants for the public to view year-round. In Spring 2002, the River Oaks Garden Club of Houston (ROGC), TX provided a generous gift to begin the expansion and renovation of Mercers Endangered Species Garden. ROGC also completed the full CPC sponsorship for Phlox nivalis spp. texensis.

This species is propagated by cuttings, divisions or seed germination as investigated by Greg Wieland (1995) at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens and Dr. David Creech, staff and students of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas (SFA 2002). These propagation efforts are performed for reintroduction efforts and to maintain plants for the gene bank. Plants produced for educational display gardens or for specific restoration and reintroduction projects are produced within Mercers nursery greenhouses and within our Conservation Area. The Conservation Area provides secure, raised beds for mass propagation of plants/seeds. Each bed is provided with independently controlled irrigation and substrates that meet the unique requirements for each species. Populations are propagated separately to insure genetic purity. Mercer staff and volunteers maintain an expanding population of Phlox nivalis spp. texensis as a permanent educational exhibit within our Endangered Species Garden. These plants often bloom throughout the year and bloom most prolifically during the Spring. Plants self-sow and spread via rhizomes. Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens maintains wild collected seeds for Phlox nivalis spp. texensis dating to 1993. Mercer also banks subsets of rare seeds collected from field surveys and from propagation work with our collaborating CPC institution, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO (formerly called the National Seed Storage Laboratories).

Endemic to the Pineywoods of the West Gulf Coastal Plain of east Texas. Occurring in deep sandy soils in fire-maintained openings in upland longleaf pine savannas or post oak-bluejack oak woodlands. Few occurrences are currently known but a number of the sites are well protected. Much of this taxon's habitat had been clearcut and converted to slash-pine plantations, urbanized, and/or altered by fire suppression. Current threats include continued habitat loss due to canopy closure/encroachment of hardwood trees and soil disturbances associated with human activities.

Habitat loss from housing development, pine plantations, pasture development, herbicides, and highway and pipeline construction Fire suppression resulting in habitat loss due to canopy closure by encroachment by woody plants (Poole 1997). Soil and

At time of listing (1991), only one occurrence in Hardin County was known. Since then, populations in Tyler and Polk County have been found. One population has been reintroduced to Big Thicket, and three more sites were found in surveys. Restoration of longleaf-pine habitat on private land has resulted in 2 additional sites. This means a total of 6 new sites have been recorded, not including the current reintroduction (Nemec 2000, 2001). In 1997, J. Poole reported fewer than 20 populations: 1 population totaling ~ several hundred plants in Hardin County, TX and 1 population of only 6 plants in Tyler County, TX. The largest group of populations exists on Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary in Hardin County and is managed by the Texas Nature Conservancy at Sandylands.

This species is propagated by cuttings, divisions or seed germination as investigated by Greg Wieland (1995) at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens and Dr. David Creech, staff and students of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas (SFA 2002). These propagation efforts are performed for reintroduction efforts and to maintain plants for the gene bank. Plants produced for educational display gardens or for specific restoration and reintroduction projects are produced within Mercers nursery greenhouses and within our Conservation Area. The Conservation Area provides secure, raised beds for mass propagation of plants/seeds. Each bed is provided with independently controlled irrigation and substrates that meet the unique requirements for each species. Populations are propagated separately to insure genetic purity. Mercer staff and volunteers maintain an expanding population of Phlox nivalis spp. texensis as a permanent educational exhibit within our Endangered Species Garden. These plants often bloom throughout the year and bloom most prolifically during the Spring. Plants self-sow and spread via rhizomes. The Endangered Species Garden, established in 1994 with support from Star Enterprises, displays rare native plants for the public to view year-round. In Spring 2002, the River Oaks Garden Club of Houston (ROGC), TX provided a generous gift to begin the expansion and renovation of Mercers Endangered Species Garden. ROGC also completed the full CPC sponsorship for Phlox nivalis spp. texensis. Mercer and ROGC hope to organize a work day(s) at the Big Thicket reintroduction site this Fall(2002) or Spring of 2003. Mercers veteran native plant volunteer, Carol Kobb, initiated the CPC sponsorship in memory of her friend Millie Gaudino of Conroe, TX. Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens maintains wild collected seeds for Phlox nivalis spp. texensis dating to 1993. Mercer also banks subsets of rare seeds collected from field surveys and from propagation work with our collaborating CPC institution, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO (formerly called the National Seed Storage Laboratories). As this species is a listed federally endangered species, maintenance of genetic integrity, documentation of provenance and gene banking is essential. The 1995 reintroduction project in the Turkey Creek Unit of the Big Thicket Preserve in Hardin County showed a loss of 18 in 1999 from the original 40 set out in in December of 1995 (Wieland 1999). This 1995 reintroduction was a cooperative effort between Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, Paula Whitefield and Ricky Maxey (now with Texas Parks and Wildlife) of Big Thicket National Preserve and Kathy Nemec of The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dr. Phillip Malnassey from Lamar University, Dr. Michael Warnock formerly with Sam Houston State Univ., Guy Nesom of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth Texas, Wendy Ledbetter of the Texas Nature Conservancy, and assisted by volunteers from Garden Clubs of America's Partners in Plants: Garden Club of Houston, The River Oaks Garden Club of Houston and Magnolia Garden Club of Beaumont, TX (Ledbetter 1996). Ike McWhorter, formerly the East Texas Land Steward for the Texas Nature Conservancy at Sandylands Preserve, was the habitat and management specialist for the species at that time.

Managers at Texas Nature Conservancy's Sandylands Preserve in Hardin County and the Big Thicket National Preserve implement controlled burns to maintain the habitat. Texas Trailing Phlox is currently in reintroduction into its historic range, The Big Thicket National Preserve of the National Park Service (NPS). This most-recent reintroduction is funded by a National Parks Service, Department of Interior Grant prepared by Roy Zipp (formerly with Big Thicket National Preserve). This reintroduction is coordinated by Fulton Jean Sonne of The Big Thicket National Preserve. Dr. David Creech of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX is propagating the plants for this reintroduction under technical direction by Mercer Arboretum. Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens provided plants in 1995 for the initial reintroduction of this Phlox into the Big Thicket National Preserve.

Continued research in the biology and ecology of the species to improve reintroduction efforts. Continue prescribed burns of habitat. Continue reintroductions.

Expand gene bank. As this species is a listed federally endangered species, maintenance of genetic integrity, documentation of provenance and gene banking is essential.