Category Archives: perennials

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Oh no! They (almost) did it again!?!

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May 7, 2021: I was just about to go out into the greenbelt for some photo taking when I heard the sound of a mower on the berm. I quickly came back running and shouting for him to stop.

Pointing out all of the native Texas wildflowers still in bloom, I explained that one should NEVER mow down a stand of wildflowers in bloom (as was done last year while I talked on the phone with their home office). I mentioned that I was trying to eliminate the invasive weeds so that the native wildflowers would have a chance to return, including the Bluebonnets, some of which had not set seed yet. (And to which he replied something along the lines of yeah, I thought I saw some back there, indicating the area that he had just mowed, and which now showed no evidence of Bluebonnets).

For an idea of what happened in 2020, refer to these two posts: May 25, 2020 May 28, 2020

Last year I managed to pull most of the Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) that had covered the berm. This time around, Maltese star-thistle (Centaurea melitensis) was the infestation of the year, and as of May 11, 2021, I have removed about 10 bags of this from the berm behind my house. Of course, it has already infested the greenbelt.

To their credit, the mowers backed off, apparently called someone for instructions on what to do, and then proceeded not to mow any more of the berm behind my fence, although he did have to drive through the area, choosing a path that would minimize the damage to the wildflowers. And crushed a good deal of the thistles to the ground, along with some wildflowers.

Thankfully, in spite of the C. melitensis, the wildflower population was much more numerous than last year. The recessive gene all-yellow Gaillardia pulchella (Indian blankets) for which I have coined the common name “Sunwheels” in contrast to the all-red pigmented “Firewheels” have also bloomed again, this time almost entirely on the berm. In previous years I have seen them in a few nearby locations, but for the last three years I have observed them directly behind my house, on the berm or in the greenbelt. (Of course, when you only have to step out the back yard to see them, you are not motivated to search very far for them).

But enough blah blah blah. Here are some pictures worth a thousand words, especially when compared with the posts from 2020.

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Asclepias asperula (Antelope Horns) after the mowing.

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Gaillardia pulchella (“Sunwheel”) surrounded by Centaurea melitensis (Maltese star thistle)

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Berm behind my house – native plants plus invasive weeds

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The green belt – Gaillardia pulchella in bloom

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The mower mows, leaving nothing behind. Looking South from behind my house, greenbelt to the left, berm behind my fence in the foreground.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

#BCMUD

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annuals, butterflies, groundcovers, insects, invasives, native plants, perennials, pollinators, Vines, wildflowers Leave a comment

The native Texas April yard/garden…

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IF you live in Central Texas, of course. While many plants (including some native plants) are still trying to recover from what I have heard called Winter Storm Uri, which lasted for about ten days back in mid-February, 2021, most of the plants native to this region of Texas are coming back strong, or putting out blooms already.

Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana) has already flowered and started putting out leaves. Giant Spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea) has for the most part finished with its most robust blooms, but there are still a few left. (Both of these photos were taken March 16, 2021).

.Prunus mexicana - Mexican PlumTradescantia gigantea

A little over two weeks later, things are really starting to perk up in the yard.

Bignonia capreolata - Crossvine Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) Lupinus texensis - Texas Bluebonnet Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), for instance, and Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) which are both favored by Hummingbirds are blooming in profusion, as are the Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis).

And then there are the Tetraneuris scaposa.which will bloom all year round if you let them, or keep on trimming off the deadheads, so that they can. These are perennials, but short lived, so after a few years you might have to replace them – or they might have spread and created new copies on their own.

Tetraneuris scaposa - Four Nerve Daisy

Oenothera speciosa - "Pink Ladies"

Oenothera speciosa – “Pink Ladies”

And, just to get this out there, Oenothera speciosa, known as Pink Primroses or Pink Ladies, are blooming currently. I have seen some popping up in neighbors’ yards that are otherwise mowed too short and devoid of any other native Texas plants. But thankfully, they haven’t mowed down the Pink Ladies. 

I will mention, but not add photos of Blue eyed grass, Cobea and Gulf Penstemons,  Mealy Blue Sage, Wright’s Skullcap, and a few others. The month of April is nearly over, The US Senate has unanimously voted to name April 2021 as National Native Plant Month, and there are invasive plants in my backyard and. beyond that need to be cut down before they go to seed. Oh, and the Rain Lilies have started popping up, finally after several days of light rain.

Hasta luego.

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Return of the Celestials (or, A Day In The Life)

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Fully open early in the day Nemastylis geminiflora

 I had been looking for Nemastylis geminiflora, commonly known as Celestials, among other names, since the middle of March. On March 23, 2021, I saw the first bloom or two. On the 24th, nothing blooming. Even went out later in the afternoon to see if anything had come up after the earlier jaunt, but still nothing new to show.

Note: I once contacted a seed source company to enquire if they had any seeds or bulbs for this plant. They indicated that they had a small amount sometime in the past, but they had quickly sold out. IF you have a large colony on your property, you might consider checking with a reputable native seed source to see how one might go about collecting seeds. I do not recommend trying to dig them up. They have bulbs which are buried deep in the soil which here in Central Texas is very rocky. Please refer to the Native Plant Society of Texas’s policy on the “taking” of plants.

First of all, what to look for?

Pleatleaf Lily, one of the common names of N. geminiflora, comes from the distinctive shape of its leaves

Pleatleaf Lily, one of the common names of N. geminiflora, comes from the distinctive shape of its leaves.

Somewhere around midwinter the plant starts sending up a leaf or two. This inferred from the apparently chopped off tips of some of the leaves, following a presumed mowing. and probable weed-eater-ing of the berm, probably in January, which kept the berm shorn to less than 3 inches in height and scalped to bare soil in several places (but that’s a different post). Or maybe it was deer browse or rabbit nibbles.

In Central Texas, somewhere around mid-March, I am now beginning to scout out the individual plants, supposedly so I can find them later. In 2017 and 2020, I photographed plants in bloom around the 15 or 16th of the month, but most years they have appeared right about the Spring Equinox. Last year, the first plants appeared around the 15th-17th of March, then no blooms until around the 27th-29th. Then nothing, until I stumbled across a few around April 10th.This year, 2021, the first blooms did not appear until the 23rd, and these two or three seem to have been early bloomers. The majority of the plants in the area in which I am familiar were still just pleated leaves.

Eventually one will observe the stems with the pre-blossoms (for want of the correct botanical term) coming up, and from that, if one is lucky, the unfurled blossom in the early morning hours. 

Celestial before blooms open (leaves to the right, stems with unopened inflorescences on the left)

Celestial before blooms open (leaves to the right, stems with unopened inflorescences on the left)

Inflorescence, still unfurled

Inflorescence, still unfurled

Then, usually the day before or earlier in the morning that the inflorescence fully extends, you’ll see a purple or bluish “flag,” not yet unfurled. 

Fully open early in the day Nemastylis geminiflora

Fully open early in a day in the life of a Nemastylis geminiflora.

Either the next day or later the same day, depending upon the sort of day it is (cloudy days they seem to remain closed until after noon. Sunny days they seem to open earlier).

Later in the day, the three tall yellow stamens will have curled up and descended/curled up towards the six stigma spread out at the bottom of the flower as show below. This particular photo taken around 2:30 PM CDT, on a fairly sunny day this March 27th or 28th.

Stamens curled up as a pollinator of undetermined species is busy at work in mid afternoon.

Stamens curled up as a pollinator of undetermined species is busy at work in mid afternoon.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow... the petals have folded, and then the fruit begins to form, as seen left to right.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow… the tepals have folded, and then the fruit begins to form, as seen left to right.

Although each flower blooms for a single day, a plant may have several flowers. Above, you can see what looks like a potential inflorescence to the left, either today or yesterday’s flower folded in on itself in the center, and to the right, the immature fruit which will eventual mature and provide seeds for future generations. When dry, they dehisc, popping out the small black seeds into the near vicinity.

So: That’s the life cycle of. the Nemastylis geminiflora, which usually blooms for a few short weeks from around the Vernal Equinox until the beginning of April – although sometimes it will fool you as I was last year when I chanced upon some late bloomers around the 10th of April. (I know, the Beatles’ song “Fool On The Hill” comes to mind – if not yours, in my mind, and “In My Life” at least).

Two takeaways:

  1. Do not pick the flowers – this prevents them from going to seed and producing new flowers for the next year. 
  2. Do not try to dig them up. Although they are called Prairie Celestials, the soil in which these are found is rocky and the bulbs are buried deep below the surface, so any attempt to dig them up will likely as not result in damaging the stem or the bulb, thus rendering such efforts useless.

 And a third:

Do get out to a local park or trail where native plants have not been discouraged by putting green level mowing practices, and take a leisurely walk (wearing a face mask, and maintaining a safe social distance). Even if you don’t see any Celestials, you just might see some other native plants and wildflowers. (In Central Texas, they were a little late in their blooming, so maybe they will extend it a little further into April. Who knows? Plants apparently don’t read field guides or any other books, so they don’t seem to follow the “rules” all the time).

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Blooming March 16, 2021, ’round Round Rock, TX

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Prunus mexicana - Mexican Plum

Took a walk outside this morning in search of one particular species, which hasn’t shown up yet, but found these, some planted, some occurring naturally:

Prunus mexicana - Mexican Plum

Mexican Plum started blooming a day or so ago. Noticeably absent so far has been a proliferation of pollinators.

Anemone berlandieri

Anemone berlandieri – also known as Ten Petal Anemone, Berlandier’s Anemone, and Windflower

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida, also known as Dakota Vervain, Prairie Verbena, among others

Tradescantia gigantea

Tradescantia gigantea – also known as Giant Spiderwort, is a good companion planting for Turkscaps (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii), since the low grass-like mounds of the spiderwort remain green throughout the year, and start to bloom in lat February or early March, after the Texas Red Mallow (another common name) have dropped their leaves (and in the home garden, are ready to be trimmed back). Spiderwort is an aggressive spreader, Turkscap not so much: both can handle partly shady to shady environments. Both attract a variety of pollinators.

#RoundRockTX #CentralTexas #WhatsInBloom #NativePlantsOfTexas

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Loss of roadside vegetation

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My previous post mentioned a September set of observations – unfortunately, the observations were not posted to this blog but on Facebook. Sad to say, the situation has gotten worse – Although the native (mostly) plants  were left alone while in bloom in September, the blooms had disappeared a few. months later, and this first week of March 2021, I observed that the plants, for the most part, appeared to have been removed.  Thanks to the ongoing pandemic and my age, I try not to go out too often. but will have to go out and see if any Winecups are in evidence (there was at least one rosette in the video). Maybe take a few home to ensure the preservation of the species. The folks running City Hall don’t seem to care about preserving native plants… as far as I can tell. Oh well. Watch it and weep.

The irony of the last few slides are that they show the invasive Crepe Myrtle and Heavenly Bamboo or Nandina, used as landscaping in the property just south of. the one now being bulldozed for a parking lot and who knows what kind of business. I suspect that a similar lack of consideration for native plants, birds, and other wildlife will guide the development of this property.

#RoundRock #OldChisholmTrail #NativePlants #HabitatDestruction

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In the heat of the summer

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I seem to suffer from Gilligan’s Syndrome – what starts out as a five minute walk outside to water the plants in their containers that I am hoping will hold on until cooler weather comes (September? October?) turns into an hour or more photo safari. Sometimes I go beyond the confines of my yard, sometimes not.

Ruellia nudiflora, for instance, has suddenly been blooming like crazy. A Passiflora incarnata volunteer popped up in the mulched bed across from the Passiflora lutea and Passiflora suberosa, and started putting out blooms. The Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii continue to bloom, as do the Salvia greggii, Lantana urticoides, Scutellarria wrightii, Salvia farinacea, and Conoclinium greggii. In the “nursery,” several Asclepias milkweeds have bloomed or budded, along with Tetraneuris scaposa. In the gravel pathway, I had to (reluctantly) trim the Boerhavia coccinea back to allow human passage. The Fallugia paradoxa has put out a few blooms and plumes, and the Pavonia lasiopetala has been a pleasant surprise with its hibiscus-like pink blossoms.

We have Liatris punctata still in bloom, Melampodium leucanthum, Asclepias texana, and a native grass that I have been calling “Indian Grass,” (turns out that is the common name for Sorghum nutans. The Aloysia gratissima has attracted pollinators, as has the Anisacanthus quadrifidus, and behind the fence, the Proboscidea louisianica or “Devil’s Claw,” has held out with a bloom or two. The Glandularia bipinnatifida has come up in various spots, too low for the mowers’ blades most of the time. As can be seen in some of the photos, these native plants of Texas, most of which are not receiving any supplemental watering, provide food for Bumblebees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds, lizards, and wasps. I even went out and over the course of several days, harvested enough Diospyros texana fruit to make a Texas Persimmon Loaf. The slide show that follows includes photos taken the week of August 10 – 16, 2020

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A mid-Summer’s nightmare

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I have seen the best plants of my eco-region driven into ghettos of greenbelts, invaded by non-native plants, poisoned with herbicides…

I see public areas, along roadways and in park areas, mowed so low that the grass is turning brown and burnt by the sun, despite sprinklers and watering, and occasional rains brought on from sub-tropical weather disturbances in the Gulf of Mexico.

I see the berm behind my house, where a stand of wildflowers in bloom had been cut down in late May while the ground was still wet, and where the native Silver Bluestem grass, which had once dominated the berm, had returned, mowed down in late July, parched and sere under the August sun. Because the contracts signed say they have to mow a certain number of times within certain calendar limits.

I have written emails to my HOA and the Municipal Utility District, and received no response. If a tree falls in the forest, or a native plant goes extinct or disappears from a region because of destruction of habitat, does it make a sound if there are no humans to hear it cry out?

And yet, life goes on.

I have seen the Clematis drummondii, with their achenes in showy white plumes, and must make a note to get out of the house for a photo safari soon, while this year’s show is still on. I have seen the Passiflora  vines and the Gulf Fritillary butterflies in their back and forth movements between fertilization, egg-laying, larvae consuming the plant, and adult butterflies dancing about. I have seen the native plants in my yard, both those intentionally planted, and those volunteers who have been recognized and protected, thrive or at least survive.

And I have seen the birds drinking from the water fountain, having been provided with plants that provide food (and insects that thrive and provide food as well), shelter, and a place to build their homes. I have seen the hummingbirds zooming about, grabbing sips of nectar from the salvias, the Texas Red Mallows, and the Flame Acanthus (though this year, I’m afraid I haven’t quick enough to focus and click on the camera quickly enough to capture one in mid-flight.

And as the globe warms, I wonder what changes I’ll be seeing in the plants that thrive in this area, and whether enough humans will start to think outside the box of “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” or “that’s the I’ve always heard it should be,” to make a dent in the greenhouse we are living in.

But enough of that. Time for some photos – some OK, some not so great, but the subject matter supersedes this one’s talents:

annuals, grasses, native plants, perennials, pollinators, shrubs, wildflowers 1 Comment

What’s blooming in Central Texas?

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What, indeed? I’m happy to say I’ve seen a hummingbird buzzing around the Turk’s caps (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii), the Tetraneuris scaposa as well as the T. scaposa var. linearifolia are in bloom, although the ones in the “nuisance strip are less lively than the ones in the one gallon pots ready to augment them. The Blackfoot Daisies (Melampodium leucanthum) are blooming, and the Cenizo or Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) bloomed for a little while, but have faded as the temperatures get into the 100s and the air has dried up. Datura (Datura wrightii) have been putting out their Angel Trumpets at night. Devil’s Claw (Proboscidea louisianica) are coming up behind the fence, along with plenty of Silverleaf nightshade (Solanum  elaeangifolium). Here are some of those mentioned, and maybe some not.

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Natives returning, along with a few undesirables

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A month after the Wildflower Massacre at the hands of untrained/poorly trained mowers (who are not to blame, for the are just pawns in the game), the native plants are making a strong comeback, as well as a couple of unwelcome plants, both exotic and native. Among the invasive or undesirable plants are Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense), Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), and Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Interestingly enough, most of the “new” natives are coming up in the area in which I had already pulled some 10 bags of grasses and weeds of the exotic and invasive persuasion. But enough talk, here’s a slideshow to illustrate what I’m talking about.

 

The low blade mowing (under 7 inches) according to a personal source expert on eradicating non-native species from parks and preserves, is a great way to spread the Poison Ivy (a native, but one which one prefers left in preserves, untouched by mower blades). I suspect that cutting below 7 inches also encourages the spread of Bermuda Grass. The Johnson Grass is an opportunistic plant that likes disturbed soils such as construction sites or “scalped” roadways and in my case, berms. But it can be easily defeated by pulling it out after every rain, and letting native grasses take over.

annuals, exotics, grasses, invasives, native plants, perennials, wildflowers 1 Comment

What a difference a day makes… not for the better, this time.

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On Tuesday, May 26, 2020, I was participating in an online Parkinson’s exercise class when I heard the sound of engines and saw a mower going across the berm next to a green belt. The first three pictures below show the wildflowers that I had managed to give some room by pulling about 10 bags of invasive grasses and noxious weed from around them since February. The last three pictures show the result of the mowers’ work, having cut the berm bare, including the stands of blooming wildflowers. Warning: disturbing and graphic photographs are included.

  • May 25, 2020
    Upright Prairie Coneflowers
  • May 25, 2020
    Uncommon Yellow Gaillardia pulchella amid normal Firewheels
  • May 25, 2020
    A diversity of native plants in bloom (with some invasives still standing)
  • May 26, 2020
    prostrate Prairie coneflowers
  • May 26, 2020
    Where the Gaillardia were in bloom
  • May 26, 2020
    A berm stripped bare, mowed while the ground and grass were wet

I quickly called Ecosystems Landscaping of Austin, the name of the company on the mower’s tee-shirt, who had simply waved at me and turned his mower in the opposite direction when I tried to flag him down. (Granted, I did not have a face mask on. Perhaps he was following COVID-19 prevention precautions).

I spoke on the phone with a Mr. Robert G., who basically let me vent while his company’s employees cut down all the wildflowers still standing on the berm, many of which were not yet in full bloom or had even gone to seed.

He told me that their contracts required them to mow within a certain date. I asked why there weren’t clause(s) that prohibited mowing under unsuitable conditions, such as following rains (we had received at least two inches of rain in the last three days, and the ground was still wet, as was the grass). He claimed that their mower blades were pressure washed before bringing the mowers to the site, and that the blades were set at least three inches high. (I advised him that the Texas DOT guidelines for roadside vegetation management recommend setting the blades at 7 inches for rural areas, and to avoid mowing next to natural preserve areas, which the greenbelt is). I suggested that the Lolium perenne (annual rye grass) and Centaurea melitensis (Malta star thistle), both highly invasive plants, could not have come in during the last two years in as great of numbers as they had without having been carried in on mower blades.

Although the following references are to the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TXDOT) online manual for roadside vegetation management, (click on the “Home” icon to view a PDF version) I remember learning that the first documented case of child abuse in the US was reported to the Animal Welfare Agency and was prosecuted under the laws regarding cruelty to animals. I think any claim that HOAs and other entities are not subject to the same guidelines are spurious by analogy. At best, such an argument is specious.

In short, I observed the following presumed violations of The Texas Department of Transportation guidelines to Roadway and Roadside Maintenance, to name a few:

  • Assumed violation of guideline on Invasive Species (Ch.1, Section 3) “which calls for pressure washing of mowing equipment before the equipment enters or leaves designated areas.” as outlined in Special Provision 730-003 (dated 2004) on Roadside mowing which requires notification of the engineer prior to the pressure washing of mowing equipment in order to ensure that plant materials are contained. (An assumption based on the resulting infestation of invasive exotic vegetation. I am willing to retract this assumption if anyone can provide proof of actual pressure washing before moving the mowers into the area. Video with a date stamp would be sufficient and easy to create with a smartphone). (Emphasis added).
  • Presumed violation of Section 4: Special Situations, which states “frequent mowing of of native grasses would allow noxious weeds to invade. … “should be cut no lower than seven inches to ensure survivability.” {emphasis added).
  • Presumed violation of Section 2: Preserving and Enhancing Habitat: “Diversity – both in plant variety and growth structure – is the key to preserving and enhancing wildlife habitat. … focus on encouraging a diverse native plant population that will provide abundant food and cover for a variety of wildlife.”
  • Obvious violation of Chapter 1 Section 3 – levels of management: ” Large stands of wildflowers including fall blooming nectar plants for pollinators should be avoided when mowing unless safety concerns arise.” (emphasis added).

I could go on.

But I am an elderly person with Parkinson’s Disease. I can’t go out waving my machete at the mowers to get them not to mow over stands of blooming wildflowers. I had thought about putting out signs saying “Wildflower Restoration In Progress – Do Not Mow” the day before, but I had other promises to keep. Maybe this Fall. At least I pulled the 10 bags of invasive plants in the last three months. There will be that many fewer invasive plant seeds, and perhaps the native grasses and wildflowers will have a better chance next year.

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