cacti , Leave a comment

Opuntia species – Prickley Pear

by
Opuntia species - Prickley Pear

Opuntia species – Prickley Pear

Caught this bloom today at the Wildflower Center south of Austin. The Prickley Pear Cacti behind my house don’t seem to be in any hurry to bloom, or I’d have taken a picture of one of them instead. Prickley Pear is almost ubiquitous in these parts – they’re what’s left after folks let cattle and goats overgraze their land in order to get the agricultural use tax rate. The “tunas” (fruit) of this cactus is edible, as are the pads, once the spines are removed.  They call them nopalitas and you can search Google to find recipes, products and such.

perennials , Leave a comment

Pavonia lasiopetala – Rock Rose

by
Pavonia lasiopetala - Rock Rose

Pavonia lasiopetala – Rock Rose

Also known as Rose Pavonia, Rose Mallow, and simply Pavonia, this small shrub is a member of the Mallow family. It blooms from April through November, and got started blooming a little earlier this year in March. Its pink flowers remind you of  Hibiscus, but unlike its cousin the Swamp Rose Mallow (found in swamps and ditches), this is found in rocky areas (thus the monicker “Rock Rose”) and slopes in woodlands and at the edge of thickets.

Also known by the scientific name of Pavonia wrightii, Rock Rose is a perennial shrub, with oblong alternating leaves, as seen here. It is drought tolerant and cold tolerant, and can handle full sun to partial shade conditions. It attracts butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds and is a good choice for a perennial garden, providing blooms throughout the summer.

 

annuals , Leave a comment

Say It Ain’t So, Joe!

by

Oxalis dillenii - Slender Yellow Woodsorrel

Oxalis dillenii – Slender Yellow Woodsorrel


From Mr Smarty Plants:

TUESDAY – MARCH 19, 2013

From:Buda, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic:Problem Plants, Turf
Title: How to control Yellow Woodsorrel in Habiturf?
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

Last year we planted Habiturf in our front lawn and prepared the ground as directed with organic compost. This year we have an infestation of low growing yellow oxalis which we believe came in with the compost as we have not had this before. What do you recommend as a control? as weeding will not get all of it and the areas are large. We are considering using an herbicide knowing it will knock out our grass but then we will reseed.

ANSWER:

Yellow Wood Sorrel, Oxalis stricta, and Slender Yellow Wood Sorrel, Oxalis dillenii, both North American natives, are often unwanted visitors in lawns, especially newly-establish or unhealthy lawns.  As your lawn matures and develops a denser stand of grass, broadleaf weeds like Wood Sorrel will be less of an issue.  Promoting healthy grass growth will eventually pay off in reduced weed infestation.

There are broadleaf herbicides labeled for use on oxalis.  These chemicals are specific to dicot weeds and will not kill grasses and other monocots if used properly.  We take neither a pro nor con stance on garden chemicals, but only urge those choosing to use them to do so in a manner that is safest for them and the environment and to strictly adhere to label directions.

Other than hand weeding, we know of no effective organic control for Oxalis species.

In the words of Lennon & McCartney, how about “Let it be”?
This is a golden opportunity to change from turf to wildflowers.

Oxalis dillenii - Slender Yellow Woodsorrel

Oxalis dillenii – Slender Yellow Woodsorrel

exotics Leave a comment

Intruder Alert

by
Nandina domestica - Heavenly Bamboo

Nandina domestica – Heavenly Bamboo

Imagine my disappointment when I stepped outside and glanced down at the the foot of a Leucophylum frutescans Cenizo bush and saw this too familiar sight. Tomorrow I will dig it up and throw it in the trash and bid it good riddance. Unfortunately, I can’t go into my neighbors’ yard and remove the plants which may have been the source of the seed dispersed by birds which resulted in this invasive species specimen.

If you see any of these, or have any in your yard, I hope you’ll do the same.

pollinators Leave a comment

Danaus plexippus – Monarch

by
Danaus plexippus - Monarch

Danaus plexippus – Monarch

This photo was taken on the 17th of March, and marks the second sighting of a Monarch in my garden this year. The first occurred a couple of weeks ago, and the Monarch was feeding from a Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora . Today I sighted another Monarch. So maybe the great migration has begun. During the Fall migration, the Monarchs like to feed on the Gregg’s Mistflowers Conoclinium greggii, but so far they haven’t bloomed and are not likely to any time real soon. So the current Monarch activity appears to be egg-laying.

perennials, Vines , , , , Leave a comment

Bignonia capreolata – Crossvine

by
Bignonia capreolata - Crossvine

Bignonia capreolata – Crossvine

The Crossvine is blooming, draped across the Eastern Redbud, and it seems to be handling the drought with less stress than the Redbud.   The blooming period is from March through May. It attracts hummingbirds (if there happen to be any in the suburban desert) and butterflies that feed on the nectar. Which reminds me – I saw my first Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) of the season over the weekend (Saturday to be exact). Oddly enough, it was feeding on the Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora, but apparently not long enough for me to grab the camera, Also spotted a couple of Red Admiral  (Vanessa atalanta) butterflies yesterday and did grab my camera, but the creature wouldn’t settle down long enough for me to get a shot. So here’s the Bignonia capreolata instead.

grasses Leave a comment

Bouteloua gracilis – blue grama

by
Bouteloua gracilis - blue grama

Bouteloua gracilis – blue grama

Blue Grama is a drought resistant native turfgrass that can be grown from seed.  It can easily be mistaken for Bouteloua hirsuta Hairy Grama if one doesn’t know that Hairy Grama has a “spike” or pointy end to its seedhead.  The Blue Grama pictured  above is spikeless or pointless, as it were. And the picture above doesn’t quite show a seedhead, since the florets are in bloom. The picture above was taken next to the Bluebonnet in the previous post, in the little patch of grass between the curb and the sidewalk.

annuals , , , , Leave a comment

Lupinus texensis – Texas Bluebonnet

by
Lupinus texensis - Texas Bluebonnet

Lupinus texensis – Texas Bluebonnet

While most instances of the state flower in my yard are still scrawny and small rosettes thanks to the continuing drought in Central Texas, this example has started to put out blossoms in the area between the curb and the sidewalk. Conversations with other native plant advocates have indicated that some bluebonnets have been putting out new blossoms for a couple of weeks now.

The normal bloom period of this annual is from March through May, so it appears to be right on schedule this year. It is especially attractive to native bees and is frequented by butterflies as well. It serves as a larval host for the Hairstreak and Elfin butterflies.

perennials , Leave a comment

Redbud – Cercis canadensis

by
Redbud - Cercis canadensis

Redbud – Cercis canadensis

Normal bloom season for the Eastern Redbud is March through May. These buds popped up on 10 February, about three weeks ahead of schedule. Central Texas is about the westernmost part of the range for var. canadensis, where it is replaced by two smaller varieties, var. texensis and  var. mexicana , which are also both native to Texas. As you can see here, the flowers appear on the bare branches, while the glossy leaves follow later. Need one add that it is deciduous?

The flowers and leaves apparently are edible, and the twigs have been used to  create a yellow dye by boiling in water.  The Eastern variety requires more water than the Texas or Mexican varieties, but even it is drought tolerant. It thrives in partial to full shade. and are good in wooded areas.  In the past, I have observed an early migrating Monarch Butterfly attracted to the flowers, which in general  provide nectar to nectar feeding insects.  In North Carolina, I have heard these referred to as “weed trees” and considered a nuisance.