By Brandt Mannchen

July 29, 2026, I visited the Big Thicket with two friends.  Although the weather was, “hotter than hell”, we met and visited the Big Thicket early and had a great time.

First, we converged at the “Watson Rare Native Plant Preserve” in Warren, Texas.  Geraldine Watson took 10 acres and not only made it into her home but also a miniature of Big Thicket ecosystems.  Here, within a 1-mile loop, you can see Longleaf Pine Upland, Longleaf Savannah Wetland, pitcher plant bog, Lake Hyatt shoreline with thousands of blooming White Water Lilies, baygall, slope forest, and many other natural landscapes of the Big Thicket.

I visited Watson Preserve ostensibly to see the rare Chapman Orchid that blooms at this time of year.  These beautiful, clustered, orange flowers bring out the vibrant green of Pale Pitcher Plants and Royal and Cinnamon Ferns.  The orchids were blooming and highlighted the other bog plants including Yellow-eyed Grass, Yellow Sunny-bell, Ten-angle Pipewort, Meadow Beauty, Pale Pitcher Plant, Barbara’s-buttons, and Hyssop-leaf eupatorium.

We also enjoyed the flowers that we saw along the trails leading to and in the Longleaf Pine Savannah Wetland including Yellow Savannah Milkwort, Wild Potato, Annual Sundew, Red Milkweed, Pine-woods Rose Gentian, White-topped Sedge, Scarlet Catchfly, and Kansas Gayfeather.

A prescribed burn is needed in the Watson Preserve because woody plants are growing prevalently, shading out the grasses and wildflowers on the bogs, savannahs, and uplands.  Hopefully, soon this important management technique will be implemented and provide needed space for smaller plants.  

We then visited the Hickory Creek Savannah Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP).  Although there had been heavy rain the week before, the ground in all areas we visited was drier than normal.  This was probably due to the high percent of sandy soils, intense sunlight, high temperatures, and a high temperature index brought caused by human created climate change in Southeast Texas and which is intensified in the Big Thicket.

We found sundews (a carnivorous plant) blooming here but flowering plants were much less common than at the Watson Preserve, probably due in part to less reliable water sources onsite.  A prescribed burn is also needed here as shrubs, like Black Titi, grew over our heads.  Native grasses and wildflowers need open, full sunlight, generally, to grow, flower, and seed.  

We then drove down Gore Store Road to Turkey Creek, which is in the Turkey Creek Unit of BTNP, parked on the south side of the road, and took a short walk.  It was blistering hot and we stayed within the shade of the pine and hardwood trees that lined the trail and Turkey Creek.

We were delighted to find a Cypress-Tupelo Slough which appeared to be part of an old Turkey Creek oxbow.  The mottled and dappled shade from these bottomland trees was welcome.

We found more Scarlet Catchfly blooming near the slough and had wonderful views and a vista of Turkey Creek as it wound its way south toward the BTNPs Visitor Center.  Many photos were taken in this scenic area.  Then we beat a hasty retreat to our air-conditioned vehicles.

Finally, we drove to the Pitcher Plant Trail in the Turkey Creek Unit of BTNP.  We had a leisurely lunch under the shade of tall pine trees at a picnic table.  We then sauntered down the Pitcher Plant Trail and walked on the boardwalk, and enjoyed the Longleaf Pine Savannah and ogled the several acre Pale Pitcher Plant bog, which was spotted with wildflowers and an occasional Sweetbay Magnolia.

The heat was now overwhelming, we said good-bye to each other, the Big Thicket, and headed back to our homes.  While hot in temperature, the Big Thicket is also “Hot” with all the “Cool” things it shows and teaches us.  I fantasized on the way home about going back in cooler times to continue our natural explorations and journeys.