Meet the Prairie - A Short Intro to the Natural Landscape of Texas

What is a Prairie?

Prairies are recognized as one of the most complex and diverse ecosystems in the world. A wide array of animals and plants work together in relationships that benefit them both.

A prairie is a grassland ecosystem. This type of landscape is defined by flat or gently rolling land, deep fertile soils, and plant communities dominated by grasses and wildflowers.

Photo from Dowell Ranch in South Austin. This land is owned by the Native Prairies Association of Texas and the City of Austin Wildlands Department.

Prairies of Texas

Prairie once stretched across much of central and western North America, from Canada to Mexico. This vast expanse of land was known as the Great Plains. 

Some states, such as Montana, Illinois, and the Dakotas are well-known as prairie states. Lesser known is that the Great Plains prairies covered more than 75% of the land we now know as Texas.

Central Texas lies at the intersection of multiple natural prairies. These are unique ecological regions including the Blackland Prairies to the East and the Edwards Plateau to the West.

Learn more about the eco-regions of Texas and the history of the prairie here.

Plants and Animals of the Prairie

Grasses are the dominant plant species in a prairie. Most prairie grasses grow in large, tall bunches to absorb nutrients from the sun and filter greenhouse gasses from the air. Deep, dense root systems help prairie plants find every last drop of groundwater during a drought. 

Seasonal wildflowers like bluebonnets, black-eyed susans, and coneflowers pepper the prairie from early spring through the winter. Blooming flowers provide nectar for bees and butterflies, then seeds feed birds and small mammals later in the season.

The Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is a staple of the iconic Hill Country landscape.

Animals of all sizes lived on the prairie. Large mammals like black bears, wolves, and ocelots wandered the land searching for bison and antelope. Smaller mammals like prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets sheltered in the tall grasses, which birds of all sizes used to build nests.

Black-Footed Ferrets have not been seen in the wild in Texas since 1963. Photo from the Abilene Zoo.

Human History of the Prairies

Before European settlement, Indigenous groups like the Caddo, Apache and Comanche lived in the Blackland Prairies. These societies co-existed with large herds of bison which helped them identify water and served as a source for food, tools, and clothing.

Painting of the prairie landscape in the 1800s. Picture from the Texas Historical Archives.

Through the 1800s, settlers moving westward began forcefully removing Indigenous groups from the land in order to create farms and towns. Bison were hunted to near extinction, the land was farmed until nothing more could grow, and new plant species were imported to North America to be used for various reasons. 

By the turn of the 20th century, the landscape had become unrecognizable to its original inhabitants. Nearly all of the Native Americans had been removed from the land, and hundreds of plant and animal species had permanently lost their habitats.

Read more about the history of the prairie here.

Current Outlook

As of 2024, less than 1% of the original Great Plains landscape still stands today. While there are still some larger parks and ranges in the state, 95% of Texas land is privately owned. Residential, commercial, and agricultural properties disrupt wide expanses of land and disturb wildlife habitat.

Many organizations at the state and local levels are working to secure and restore the remainder of the prairie, like the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT). These groups work with lawmakers and landowners to protect prairie remnants from further destruction or development.

Another photo from Dowell Ranch in South Austin.

What You Can Do

• Plant native plants! Every square foot counts to benefit wildlife and the environment as a whole. Keep browsing this website to learn more about Texas native plants. Start with our native plant gardening guide!

• Get involved! join your local chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, learn about birding with the Audubon Society, or spend a day on a prairie remnant with NPAT. Check out our conservation community page.

• Learn and spread the word. Read, listen, watch, and SHARE! Check out the educational resources page, and then tell everyone you know what you’ve just learned. 

Native plants can be planted in containers, too! Photo from The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Thanks for being here, and happy planting!

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