Randy Johnson Organics

Randy Johnson Organics * Ecological/Horticultural Consulting
* BlackLand Seeds
* Black Land Natives
* Public Speaking/Presentations
* 'Eco-Scape' design Superior genetics.

Ecological/Horticultural Consulting
*On-site consultations regarding almost all aspects of organic
horticulture. Residential, commercial, farm/ranch, and hunting
properties are all examples of property types on which I consult. Black Land Seeds
*Hand-collected seed from native species harvested from local prairie
and wild land remnants. Origin is primarily black,

clay soil from
Dallas County,TX. Black Land Natives
*Native plants (grown from seed provided by BLS and propagated
by co-owners, brother and sister, Randy Johnson and Julie Johnson) evolving on and adapted to local soil and
climatic conditions. Public Speaking/Presentations
*Public/Private presentations/instruction on a wide range of subjects
such as Soil biology/ecology, Native plant ecology, Plant propagation,
Compost/Vermicompost/Compost teas, Vegetable production,
Butterfly/Pollinator gardens, Ecological restoration, Principles of
Organic horticulture...... and more, just ask!
'Eco-Scape' design and installation
*The typical landscape design considers very few factors such as water
and sunlight needs, ph tolerance, etc. Few if any consider installing
a functioning ecosystem which is an attempt to remediate what was
lost or destroyed when an area is developed. These designs support
native flora and fauna and are very resource conservative. They are
economical to maintain and heal the Earth.

A few folks have inquired about what's on the shelves right now and here are a couple of lists.I can't apologize for han...
04/06/2026

A few folks have inquired about what's on the shelves right now and here are a couple of lists.
I can't apologize for hand-writing them, I like the old ways. I'm kind of transitioning right now with regard to propagation so the diversity isn't expansive at the moment.

Most of these are in my 2" X 2" X 5" liner form but I do have larger container sizes for many of these so just ask if you need anything larger than the liner size.
***All liners are at minimum one-year old.

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Thank you!

Aristolochia anatomy...Here I have bisected the flower and you can see how it is structured. After entering the opening ...
04/02/2026

Aristolochia anatomy...

Here I have bisected the flower and you can see how it is structured. After entering the opening the insect descends down the throat where the backward facing hairs occur... I can't make them out on this photo but I'll take science's word for that but I also think the throat narrows sharply as it transtions into the bulbous s*x chamber. If so, that may also restric pollinator escape...

Notice the anthers next... I removed that structure for clarity and they are very evident. I'll assume the immature style is that white, domed bulge which the anthers are surrounding but as always, please offer correction if I'm wrong.

I really dig how all this works and the evolutionary highlights... hope y'all do too... enjoy!
Keep on learning, every day, make it worth your valuable time. Have a great one!

04/02/2026

So... I decided to bisect one of the flowers and as soon as I did these small insects came out!!! I guess I do have something here that pollinates them! Maybe... fingers crossed I can get seed to set this year.

You can see 2 of the 3 insects that emerged... one is on the bench at about the 5 o'clock position while the other is on the flower itself and it'll move toward the end of this short video.

You know, we read about this dynamic but actually witnessing it is a whole nuther thing... super cool to weird folks like me. Enjoy this news my oddfellows!

04/02/2026

Aristolochia tomentosa, Woolly pipevine.

One of several species of Aristolochia native to our state. It's an unusual genus with unique flowers... and this genus traps it's pollinators inside the flower structure to help ensure successful pollination.

I will follow this post with more details but in general here's the pollination dynamic..
The flower emits a foul smell that attracts small midges, gnats, flies, etc. and they enter the flower via that small opening. They crawl through that tube and enter into that bulbous structure which contains both the pistil and anthers. The insect will deposit pollen on the stigma and after that it is held captive until this flower undergoes anthesis and showers it's pollen onto the insect... after this it is 'released'. Insects cannot escape the flower because of stiff hairs which point the same direction as they enter the flower, when they try to leave they cannot progress 'against the grain'.
After anthesis these hairs soften or fade and the critter can leave... but now covered with pollen.

Be sure and check out the follow-up video and picture post for more details...

04/01/2026

Ptelea trifoliata, Hop ash

Not a true ash... those occupy a different genus, Fraxinus. Hop ash is in the citrus family, Rutaceae, and it's a host plant for our native Giant Swallowtail butterfly. The seeds are/were used as a substitute for brewing beer, hence the common name.
A small tree, it can get 20' - 25' tall but those big ones are getting hard to find. It's a dioeceous species, male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

Our woody natives provide a different kind of structure in your landscape, diversifying the habitat while increasing the interest to wildlife... and human critters too!

03/31/2026

Carex perdentata, Texas Meadow sedge.
This fine textured native is quite versatile in it's application. Full sun to part shade and drought tolerant once established. I love it. Edging, drifts, lines of demarcation in forb beds, etc. In my opinion no design is complete without them and there are many to choose from although not often seen for sale... but I grow and sell them.

My narration requires a bit of correction... Cyperaceae is the plant family to which the genus Carex belongs. There are approximately 4000 species worldwide in the family and about 2000 species in the genus. Carex is the most diverse genus of flowering plant in North America with over 500 species and they occupy a vast array of habitat types... you can find one for practically any application.

Most local species are evergreen providing an interest in the landscape. Very nice applications for erosion control and they are great for wildlife providing both food and cover. They are wonderful for those shady areas where nothing else grows and stabilizes bare soil; interspersed with forbs they a real design enhancer.

Maintenance is easy, do nothing... but most can take a minor shearing without harm. When I trim them I simply pull it all into a vertical ponytail and cut the gathered top... keeps that mounding form intact.

Criminally underused, find and incorporate narive sedges into your landscape, you won't be sorry!
Go Native!!

03/30/2026

Anisacanthus puberulus, Pink Hummingbird bush.

This one is a real favorite of mine, you don't often see it; I grew this old specimen from seed I gathered from the Benny Simpson collection of native plants at TDG when I was Director of Horticulture at that place.

In Texas it's native range is down around the Big Bend country... Brewster and Presidio counties and Mexico calls it home as well. Found mostly at higher elevations on rocky outcrops, it's tough.
Like the common suggests, hummingbirds visit it for nectar and in-turn serve as the plant's primary pollinator. This species flowers in spring where it blooms before leafing out and flushes again, but not as heavy, in fall. There are between 11 and 18 species in the genus, it's a promiscuous genus still sorting things out. A. linearis is yellow! I'd love to see that one...

If you find one and have a real sunny spot I'd suggest you grab it and give it a chance. You don't need a rocky outcrop, mine has been in Dallas county black clay for nearly 10 years.

03/21/2026

Mexican buckeye, Ugnadia speciosa.

Another spring flowering native... this plant makes a big, giant rounded clump... not a standard tree form. Flowers don't last long but have a very interesting structure in my opinion. Hermaphroditic, it has both male and female parts on the same flower. The seed pod has 3 chambers and I'll be damned if you don't find that spiders love to use the opened, dried capsules as homes!
Very interesting and smart!
Be warned... if it likes your yard it'll produce copious amounts of fruit so get the rake oiled up.
If you've got the space you should try this unusual native!

03/21/2026

Nursery stock is busting out...
Spring emergence from one year old native plants... these flats were all sown last spring.
As is usual, you see some blank cells where the individual didn't make it through winter but that is OK... weak cold tolerant genetics gotta go!
Texas ash is now Fraxinus albicans, darn botanists are always changing their minds so sorry about my flawed narration.
Lots of cool stuff coming on...

03/20/2026

Cratageus marshallii, Parsley hawthorn.

What a beautiful woody native we have here, great spring flowering beauty! Produces abundant red fruit that birds and other wildlife covet in the fall.
Notoriously difficult to propagate from seed as they have a double dormancy requiring both warm and cold-moist stratification... a few months each way... and even then germimation is said to be erratic. This is the kind of challenge I love...

The flower is interesting as well, it's hermaphroditic which means both male and female components occupy the same flower... This versus a monoecious species which has separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Over 90% of all flowering plants are hermaphrodites which is good, easier pollination especially when there is a lack of good pollinators available.

Woody natives... get some.

03/17/2026

I've got a little mystery on my hands... here's a tree in bloom which I have never seen. Should've iNat'd it but forgot, that probably would've been easy.
Anyway... please help a feller out here, what is this? Thanks in advance!

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New Orleans, LA

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