On August 19, 2026, the Houston Sierra Club (HSC) visited the Caney Creek Floodplain (CCF) in Compartments 30 and 34, in Sam Houston National Forest (SHNF). This site is located where the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) crosses Osburn Road and travels east across the CCF. The HSC viewed infestations of the non-native invasive plant species (NNIPS) Trifoliate Orange (TFO) which occur in this floodplain.
The U.S. Forest Service (FS) has given the HSC permission to cut the TFO as a temporary treatment measure to reduce the impact TFO has on native trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and herbaceous vegetation in Caney Creek and other floodplains in SHNF. A more permanent treatment measure is needed but this temporary treatment measure will open the understory canopy (less shade) so that native vegetation can compete better with TFO.
When cutting is done, the HSC will pull cut limbs out of floodplain features, so they don’t block water flow. The HSC will also collect as many of the TFO fruits (with seeds) so that they can be disposed of properly to reduce new infestations.
The TFO infestations begin where the LSHT forks south and parallels Caney Creek and the Main Trail continues east and crosses the CCF. At this westernmost location, the lower slope of Compartments 30 and 34 connect with the floodplain. Several small bridges cross shallow channels or swales at this site.
This site is where the HSC saw the first TFO infestations on the LSHT. The infestations continue east throughout the floodplain, although they aren’t continuous. In several places, connectivity of TFO infestations is increasing and small and medium-sized TFO are growing underneath or next to adult TFOs (the adults are about 5-7 feet tall).
Found within and near these TFO infestations are NNIPS European/Chinese Privets which should also be treated to reduce their similar effects on native vegetation.
The non-native invasive animal species, feral pig is found in the CCF. Its’ rooting (overturned soil) was seen during the visit. Feral pigs may spread TFO by eating fruit and then defecating seeds. This possibility should be researched because it indicates another method for the reduction of TFO infestations is to reduce feral pigs.
The CCF has many abandoned channels, ponds, swales, tributaries, sloughs, flats, and other features of an active stream floodplain. There are occasional higher areas that provide a 1-2-foot elevation change above the lower floodplain (bottoms). The entire floodplain is undulating and provides a lot of storage capacity for floodwater.
During the visit to the CCF the HSC heard birds calling. The only bird calls that could be identified were of the Pileated Woodpecker and Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The HSC saw a Giant Swallowtail butterfly and measured a Loblolly Pine which was 37.26 inches in diameter breast height.
Some native vegetation observed during the visit included trees like Cedar Elm, Sugarberry, Water Oak, Sweetgum, White Oak, Green Ash, American Basswood, American Elm Little Hip Hawthorn, American Hornbeam, Dwarf Palmetto, Loblolly Pine, Water Hickory, Willow Oak, Redbud, Boxelder, and Winged Elm; shrubs like American Beautyberry, Privet Foresteria, and blackberry species; vines like Poison Ivy, Trumpet Vine, grape vine species, greenbrier species, and Peppervine species; grasses like Switchgrass and Inland Sea Oats; herbaceous plants like Thoroughwort, Elephant-foot species, Canadian Black Snakeroot, Frost Weed, Turk’s Cap; and ferns like Resurrection Fern.
The HSC will begin its TFO temporary treatment in September or October 2026.