Arrowwood Preserve
Through a generous donation by partners Don Poarch and Joe Swinbank, Arrowwood was acquired by Bayou Land Conservancy in late 2020. Located in Montgomery County, across Spring Creek from Lone Star College-Tomball stands 117 acres of ecologically diverse, forested land that provides multiple benefits for our community.
Southern arrowwood, also known as arrowwood virburnum (Virburnum dentatum), is part of the Honeysuckle family. A 6-8 foot tall shrub, sometimes taller, with multiple, erect-arching stems in a loose, round habit. White, flat-topped flower clusters are followed by dark blue berries. Lustrous, dark-green
foliage turns yellow to wine-red in fall. A shrub with downy twigs, coarsely toothed leaves, and flat-topped clusters of small, white flowers. The long, straight, hardwood suckers were used to make arrow shafts by Native Americans. Some botanists recognize two separate species for this highly variable plant, the other being northern Arrowwood (V. recognitum) with smooth twigs.
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BLC's Arrowwood property represents the western extent of this plant’s natural range. Some distribution maps even omit Montgomery County from arrowwood’s distribution, but it has been found on the BLC property. The name emphasizes how North Houston is a melting pot of ecosystems – where east (Big Thicket) meets west (Post Oak Savannah/Blackland Prairie).
Arrowwood is currently in its trailblazing stage, done by our wonderful volunteer Trail Crew!
BLC is in partnership with Plains All American to build an outdoor classroom, and with Lone Star College-Tomball to host students on the preserve to support their educational goals.
Thank you to these generous donors for supporting Arrowwood:
Sprint Sand & Clay
Repsol Corporation
Plains All American Pipeline Company
William & Madeleine Welder Smith Foundation
The Ralph H. and Ruth J. McCullough Foundation
Estate of Thomas J. Flasch