A Tribute to Patty Manning

By Emmy Ulmschneider, Master Gardener

Three times in my life I have been touched by people whose knowledge, passion, and willingness to share have inspired me.  Patricia Rose Manning, Patty Manning, was one of those people.  I cannot say that I knew her well or for a long time.  But when I walk out into my yard, I see everywhere the reminders of what she gave to the local native plant community and beyond.  And I hear her voice. 

I grew up in the Beech-Maple climax forests of Ohio, much of it outside.     Relocating to West Texas was a shock, I lost all the familiar wildflowers and native plants of my youth, I could not grow anything, and I lost my sense of place.   I had to rethink what “wildflowers” were.  Thus started a learning curve to re-establish a sense of place and an appreciation for the native ecosystems around me.  In 2003, I planted my first “native” plant.  Over the years I learned that all plants labelled as native are not the same.  Often the readily or locally available plants are nativars:  plants that have been grown or developed for a human selected trait.  This trait may not be desirable in our local ecology and of little or no value in supporting our native bee, butterfly and insect populations forming the complex web of life that supports our native ecosystems.   

But there was already someone working on this deficit. Through her 18-year career germinating and growing plants at Sul Ross State University, Patty was at the forefront of the native plant community by collecting and germinating seeds from the Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend region, and beyond.  Individuals and institutions including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center all benefitted from her knowledge and passion.  When she co-founded Twin Sisters Natives, it was the go-to place for what I associated with Patty, her “real deal” natives; native plants that come from our area, thrive in our area and are part of our West Texas heritage.   Plants from Twin Sisters came with a white plastic tag.  Handwritten on it was basic information about the plant: its common and Latin name, the location or origin of the plant, when the seeds were collected and germinated, repotted and so on.  I treasure my collection of these white tags a constant reminder of the amazing field botanist and scientist that Patty was.

Now more than ever, we need these kinds of native plant heroes or heroines: lay people and professionals who recognize the importance and beauty of our native plants and ecosystems and are willing to advocate for the use of native plants in our urban landscapes and beyond.  To this end, the Big Bend Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas has established the Patricia Rose Manning Undergraduate Scholarship.  This scholarship is available for Sul Ross State University junior and senior students who are interested in pursuing further study or a career working with the study, conservation, and restoration of native Texas plants and their ecosystems.  What a fitting tribute to honor Patty Manning’s legacy and extend it into the future. 

If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700.   Additional information, and our blog for access to past articles, is available at westtexasgardening.org.  Click on “Resources”.