Folsom Louisiana Native Plant Society

Decades of Native Plant Data

Since the late 1980's, our President, John Larkin (St. Tammany's own Ralph Waldo Emerson) has been keeping track of extremes in the weather, in life cycles of wildflowers and in the seasons, and he shares that information with us regularly in his monthly newsletter column.

John began his record keeping just after the Folsom Native Plant Society got started in 1988. He knows that weather plays a big part in the way things grow and enjoys recording extreme temperatures and differences in growing cycles. He keeps all his weather information right on a calendar and keeps all the years together on one hook so the information is right at hand.

Using his calendars John can tell us when to expect the first and last frost. Not the exact date, but close enough to give us an idea of when to plant and when to bring in what we can. By recording the rain, cold, extreme heat, and extended dry spells, patterns begin to emerge.

We all could learn a lot from John's record keeping system.

(excerpts from “A Conversation with John Larkin” by Amy Althans)

Now take a trip back in time, ten years back, by looking at John’s weather observations and annotated lists of the plants that were blooming in the wilds and along roadsides around Folsom, LA from February, 1996 through February, 1997.