All the Dirt on Gardening

Gypsum outcroppings Northwestern Oklahoma and West Texas soil, like New Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert, was formed 220 to 270 million years ago when the area was under water. These locations have islands of Gypsum, Dolomite and Shale deposits from when they were ocean floor. Gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate), is the primary ingredient in plaster of Paris and wallboard – a difficult, low-nutrient, environment for plant life. The seeds of most weeds and non-native plants cannot grow in it. Among the native plants, there are a few called True Gypsophiles that grow only on gypsum outcrops and gypsum-rich soil. ( For more scientific information about Gypsophiles, see http://tiny.cc/r4cmnw at Oberlin College.)  Gypsum-loving plants include: Bougainvillea, Angel Trumpet, Bicolor Mustard, Fiddleleaf, Sandwort, Prickly Poppy, Blanket Flowers, Prairie Dropseed, and several native Daisies, Sunflowers and Asters. In September, the Oklahoma Native Plant Society held its annual me...