By Brandt Mannchen

Recently, I visited Green Star Wetland Plant Farm (Green Star) in Alvin, Texas on one of their “Open Farm Days”.  I visited with the owner, Mary Carol Edwards, who started Green Star in 2018 and moved to the present location in 2020.

The first location for Green Star was in the Houston Ship Channel area, located on ¼ acre of rented property.  At that time, she had space for 7,000 plants.  Now she regularly has space for 50,000 plants.

Mary Carol has 11 acres, with 4 acres that grow plants and 7 acres of either a “work in progress” restored native prairie, or perimeter and scattered vegetation and large single trees or groves of trees.  She has a greenhouse, water basins to grow aquatic plants, and storage areas.  There are also several demonstration areas that document how you can plant or create ponds, swales, and other habitats on your property.

Plants bought at Green Star are used in flood control basins, conservation and mitigation projects, wastewater wetlands, green infrastructure, and landscape projects.  Both wholesale and retail sales are provided. 

Mary Carol used to be the “go to” person to provide technical assistance for people who wanted to install green infrastructure, including native wetland plants to clean our waters, in the Houston Area.  She worked for Texas A&M Agrilife, our statewide extension service.

Mary Carol believes in environmental education and wetlands protection.  The mission and vision of Green Star is:  “… providing excellent, locally-sourced, native wetland plant stock to restore and regenerate the beauty and function of wetlands for Texas and the Gulf Coast. We envision healthy, beautiful lands and cities revitalized by native landscapes, including wetlands of all types.

Some of my favorite wetland plants that Green Star carries include:  Sugar Cane Plume Grass, Giant Coneflower, Halberd-leaved Rose-mallow, spiderwort, Louisiana Iris, Aquatic Milkweed, Buttonbush, Swamp Sunflower, Blue Waterleaf, Texas Spiderlily, Texas Coneflower, Giant Cutgrass, and Powdery Alligator Flag.

Green Star is also a living, wildlife, habitat. When I was there I saw White Ibis fly overhead, a Great Egret settle down at the demonstration wetlands pond, heard and saw two Red-bellied Woodpeckers in a Live Oak, and saw White-winged Doves and a Kestrel in trees.

Green Star is a great place to visit.  If you want wetland plants and would like to check them out, visit and take a look at Green Star and see what you think.

Photos by Brandt Mannchen