Branching Broomrape Orobanche ramosa

Branching Broomrape Orobanche ramosa. A leafless, parasitic plant whose stems tap into the roots of other plants, like Tobacco, Potatoes, or Mint, which sends up branching clumps of dark colored stems which bear light lavender tube flowers with a white mark on the lip.  Under the ground the plant forms a bulb like nodule around the roots of some plant, then sends up a short, stout stalk that branches at the surface.  Not able to produce chlorophyll, Broomrape has no leaves, parasitizing other plants. Locally uncommon, this pest can form colonies which are not noticed, since they are very short, and get quickly overgrown after they bloom.  In Europe this species is harvested and prepared like asparagus. SWk, Not in Book, 3/25/19 – 5/4/19; 3/28/20 – 5/?/20;

Branching Broomrape habit; a leafless parasitic plant producing clumps of light blue tube flowers.

Note; Broomrape does not produce any leaves, tapping into the roots of other plants

Note; branching clumps of leafless stalks, each bearing slightly arched, blue flowers with a white spot on the lip and into the throat.

Chickasaw Plum Prunus angustifolia

Chickasaw Plum Prunus angustifolia. A thicket forming, twiggy bush which has sharp thorns along the branches, this fruit tree is common on open land along water courses and road sides.  Blooming later than P umbellate, which produces umbels of flowers on the ends of stems, Chickasaw Plum produces white flowers along the full length of stems, making a display of total white “bottle brushes”.  The ½” fruit begins green, turns red, then yellow when it is ripe.  The leaves are soft and serrated along the edges, but longer and thinner than P umbellate.  Like other members of the cherry and plum family, the leaves are toxic to livestock and rabbits.  Each individual, sweetly fragrant flower is composed of 5 oval petals surrounding a central pistol with many filamentous stamen.  Known clumps are most prevalent under the power lines along the DORBA trails. (401) 3/21/19; 20 no obs;

3/21/19

Note: Chickasaw Plum blooming with masses of fragrant, white flowers from nodes along entire stems

Note; thicket forming habit of Chickasaw Plum

Note; dense masses of blooms along entire stems

Note; leaf bearing twigs can form into long, sharp thorns along the small, twiggy trunks.

Johnny-Jump-Up (Wild Pansy) Viola tricolor

Johnny-Jump-Up Violet (Wild Pansy) Viola tricolor. This soft stemmed plant is occasionally perennial, but in most zones is a self-seeding annual. An immigrant from the Mediterranean, this violet ranges in color from solid yellow to dark purple, the most common pattern being painted, purple lip with yellow stripes, the petals split between yellow and lavender. The elongated leaves, which have coarsely toothed margins, alternate along a squared, somewhat trailing stem.  The parent stock of commercial pansies, V tricolor produces viable seeds.  This wild stock bears 3/8” flowers on long stems, one at a time.  An uncommon visitor, this wild pansy escaped cultivation, and no occasionally blooms along forest margins, like Sunset Walk.  Not in books. 3/15/19-3/29/19; 20 no obs;

Note; Johnny Jump Up, or Wild Pansy, single 3/8″ blue flowers with white stripes radiating from a yellow center, born in slow succession on long stems

Note; elongated, coarsely toothed leaves alternating along squared, slightly trailing stems

Note; blue, 5 petal flowers born singly in slow succession.

note; buds forming within deep bracts at leaf nodes

Rose of Sharon Hibiscus

Rose of Sharon Hibiscus; Habiscus syriacus.  Several hibiscus are cold hardy enough to tolerate Dallas’ weather.  H syriacus is originally from southern China, but was collected from Syrian gardens, hence the species name.  Although it will not propagate locally, this medium sized, pink to lavender hibiscus is locally perennial, adding a dash of color during summer months.  The tough, slightly rough, narrow, but miltilobed leaves alternate along woody stems, sprouting again from leaf nodes in late spring.  The five lavender to soft pink, or even blue petals have a darker basal spot where they connect to the long pistol, which like other hibiscus, sprouts short stamen tipped with white anthers toward the tip.  The ovaries ripen into dry capsules that crack into 5 sections, allowing the seeds to disperse.  Although it can tolerate full sun, this hibiscus does best where the afternoon sun is dappled by shade trees, but it will not do well in dense shade.  Mature “trees” have several erect, somewhat leggy, weakly branching ‘trunks’.

Note; a weakly branching, erect, woody tree like bush with narrow, deeply lobed, rough, alternating leaves, producing pink to lavender flowers with a darker basal spot.

Note; alternating leaves with somewhat narrow, deeply cut leaves.

Sumac; Prairie and Smooth Flame-Leaf Sumac

Sumac; Prairie and Flame-Leaf/Smooth Sumac Rhus copallina L;. As the name implies, the leaves of this woody, deciduous shrub turn bright red in the fall.  The trunks have low, rough, corky knobs, but are otherwise smooth and unfurrowed.  Long (10-14”) pinnate leaves bear opposite pairs of slightly asymmetric, lance shaped leaflets. Terminal clusters of tiny greenish-white, fragrant flowers bud from the ends of this year’s growth, each with 5 petals arranged around a central disk.  Flowers convert to heavy stalks of hard, dark red berries (some varieties are white).  Though small and inconspicuous, sumac has many uses.  The resin of this Sumac has a copal like property, and can be burned as an incense, earning it the scientific species name copallina.  The stems and bark contain high levels of tannin, used for curing hides, and Amerindians crushed the berries to make lime-laced water taste palatable.  The berries are a rich source of food for birds migrating through DFW in the early spring. Two nearly identical varieties grow in the area, the Prairie Flame Leaf has toothed edges on the leaves, but lacks wings on leaf stems, while the flower petals are longer, and whiter.  The Smooth Flame-Leaf has a smooth, untoothed leaf margins, with flattened wings on leaf stems, while the flowers are more rounded, and have a darker colored disks, but both varieties are considered one species.  (632-633) 5/10/15; 5/30/16; 5/15/17 – 5/30/17; 6/2/18; 19 no obs. 5/20/20

Note; flowers convert to dense panicles of dark red (or white), hard berries, readily eaten by migrating birds in the spring

Flame Leaf Sumac habit; a densely branching, deciduous tree with relatively smooth bark, bearing alternating, compound pinnate leaves and panicles of white flowers that convert to dense clusters of dark red berries.

Note; the relatively smooth bark lacks ridges, or scales, but has corky rough protuberances

Note; Smooth Flame Leaf Sumac have compound pinnate leaves with an odd number of asymmetrical leaflets with smooth margins, and flattened ‘wings’ between leaflets

Note; Prairie Flame Leaf Sumac have compound pinnate leaves with an odd number of nearly symmetrical leaflets with coarsely toothed margins, lacking ‘wings’ between leaflets

Note; dense terminal panicles fragrant flowers, each with five white, elongated petals arranged around a dark central disk

Note; Prairie Flame Leaf Sumac flowers have longer, thinner petals with pointed tips

Note; Smooth Flame Leaf Sumac flowers have shorter, rounded petals

Note; leaves turn a bright, dark red in the fall, remaining on the plants for some time, earning this Sumac the nick-name Flame Leaf Sumac.

Soapberry, Western Soapberry

Soapberry; Western Soapberry Sapindus drummondii Hook;. Soapberry can grow to be a branching crown tree in some areas, but in the DFW area it is normally a short, spindly, deciduous bush of the understory, rarely more than 4” in diameter.  The loose, light grey, extremely scaly bark is often tinged with yellow or orange lichens.  Light green shoots produce a new crop of oddly pinnate leaves which alternate in a spiral around the stems, the asymmetrical leaflets alternating along the ribs, rather than being arranged in opposite pairs.  Leaves turn bright yellow in the fall.  Flower panicles, 6-10” long, bud from the tips of new growths, bearing tiny (1/4”), fragrant, short-lived, white flowers with 5 papery thin petals.  Flowers have 8 or more stamen, each tipped with an off-white anther, which project out, far beyond the flower, giving the flower heads a fuzzy look.  Flowers convert to yellowish, translucent berries with a solid pit, which look similar to Chinaberry seeds.  When dried, the saponin rich berries can be vigorously rubbed in water to produce soap-suds.  Otherwise, the berries, though used in moderation as a purgative and antiseptic, are considered toxic.  Trees are parasitized by the Soapberry Borer beetle, which eats away the water carrying xylem layer under the bark.  (683-684) 5/28/15 – 6/5/17; 5/25/17 – 6/5/17; 5/25/18; 19 no record; 5/28/20

Western Soapberry habit; a spindly tree of the understory with grey, scaly bark, alternating pinnate leaves, and terminal panicles of tiny, white flowers which convert to round yellow berries.

Note; alternating spirals of pinnate leaves composed of an odd number of asymmetrical, lanceolate leaflets which alternate along the rib, rather than being arranged in opposite pairs.

Note; panicles of fragrant, but short lived, very small, white flowers grow from terminal buds of new growth

Note; tiny white, ball like buds that open to small white flowers with 5 papery petals and 10 filamentous stamen, each tipped with a yellow anther

Note; translucent, yellowish fruit with a large, hard pit visible inside, make suds when scrubbed in water

Note; asymmetric leaves are bulged to one side

Sumac, Skunk-Bush Sumac

Skunk-bush; Skunk-Bush Sumac Rhus aromatica var. flabelliformis Shinners;.  This tough, low-growing, evergreen shrub has three lobed leaves with rounded lobes (not pointed like Poison Ivy) born in an alternating pattern on thin, grey stems.  The leaves have a strong smell when crushed or cut, earning it the nick-name “Skunk-Bush”, although they do not smell remotely like skunk.  The scientific name ‘aromatica’, is more generous, though the smell is more offensive than aromatic.  Common in wooded areas of thin soil covering chalk limestone, skunk bush is nearly inconspicuous until winter, for the leaves are evergreen and the hairy fruit a dull red.  The tiny but fragrant, inconspicuous, greenish-white flowers open in mid March.  The fruit are little more than a thin, hairy skin covering a large, hard seed.  (630) 3/27 – 4/6/15; 17 no obs; 18 no obs (drupe 5/25/18); 3/25/19 (drupe 5/18/19); 20 no obs;

Skunk Bush habit; a low growing evergreen shrub with grey stems, alternating, three lobed leaves, and compact bunches of hairy, dull red berries

Note; trifoliate leaves, each leaflet with three rounded lobes, are not sharply pointed like Poison Ivy, and have a strong, offensive odor when cut or crushed

Note; tiny, inconspicuous, greenish flowers are born in short spikes from leaf axils

Note; terminal clumps of fragrant flowers open as new leaves are growing in

Note; clumps of hairy, dull red fruit, little more than thin skin covering hard seeds

Redbud; Eastern Redbud

Redbud; Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis L;. A low, stiff, upright, deciduous bush with multiple trunks, approaching the size of a small tree, which has crisp, matte, round to heart shaped leaves alternating along new stems, and dark grey, smooth to slightly corrugated (but not furrowed) bark that is very thin.  Main trunks are often short lived, (10-20) years, but new trunks rise from the root-base to replace them.  Mexican and Texas varieties are differentiated on the basis of how hairy the stems and leaves are, the Texas variety (texensis) being nearly smooth and hairless.  Redbud are best known for their abundant violet-red flowers, which sprout in umbels directly from trunks, branches and twigs early in the year (March), before other trees have begun blooming or putting out leaves.  New leaves bud out after the flowers have closed.  Three petals of each flower point up, while two wing petals encase ten filamentous stamen and the pistol.  Flowers convert to dark brown, flattened bean pods that eventually open on their own, scattering the small, flattened seeds. Cultivars range in color from white to purple, leaf colors from light green to burgundy, and some trailing or weeping varieties have been developed. Old Redbud trunks produce a medium brown wood streaked with black which makes attractive lathe-work.  Common in all zones, tending to be leggy in forest shade, and squat or stunted in full sun.  (553-555) (March 3/15, blasted by freeze) 3/22/15 – 4/17/15; 2/22/16 – 4/5/16; 2/21/17 – 3/25/17; 3/6/18; 3/8/19 – 4/14/19; 3/6/20 – 3/28/20;

Eastern Redbud habit; a variable understory bush with multiple, readily branching trunks, some approaching a small tree, which bears large, round to heart shaped leaves and bright purple-red flowers in early spring, directly from old growth and trunks.

Note; the dark grey, nearly black bark, is very thin, and smooth, often textured but not furrowed or corky.

Note; umbels of variable, purple-red legume flowers bud directly from old growth, such as trunks, branches, as well as last year’s twigs, before leaves grow in

Note; each flower is composed of three upright banner petals and two wing petals encasing the stamen filaments and pistol

Note; umbels of flowers are most common along twigs, attracting bees, although there is little detectable fragrance

Note; crisp, matte green, round to heart shaped leaves born alternately along new stems

Note; flowers convert to flattened bean pods, which turn black before they curl and pop open when dry, releasing the seeds.

Peach Tree

Peach; Peach Tree Prunus persica;.  Peaches originated in the “Mediterranean” climate of western China and eastern Persia, as the scientific name persica indicates.  Wild Peaches will sometimes grow  from pits of hybrid peaches, but otherwise they do not naturally propagate in this area.  Called “clings”, the flesh clings to the seeds of wild peaches, rather than separating easily, as commercial hybrids do.  However, the flowers and leaves look similar.  Trees have smooth to scaly bark, and the long limbs tend to droop when laden with fruit, or sometimes even split apart from the trunk.  The leaves are slightly folded, long and narrow, with very short petioles, with a pronounced drip-tip, and are born alternately along stems.  Flowers form before new growth emerges, budding from leaf scars on last year’s stems.  Dark red bud sepals open, allowing the five showy, pink petals to unfold, which like other members of the Rosacea family, sport a dome of filamentous stamen, each tipped with an anther, surrounding a central pistol.  Fruit are hairy, scored by a central cleft, and have one hard, flattened pit with a convoluted surface.  The sweet fruit are eaten by birds and wasps alike if left on trees too long.  Like Almonds, the seed inside is laced with cyanide, making them taste bitter, and potentially poison if too many are eaten.  (406-407) 3/5/16; 2/25/17 – 3/15/17; 18 no obs (drupe 5/24/18); 2/28/19 – 3/23/19 (drupe 6/22/19); 2/18/20 – 3/15/20 (drupe 6/12/20);

Peach habit; a readily branching, short tree with smooth to scaly bark.

Note; large, showy five petal, pink flowers with multiple filamentous stamen.

Note; flowers convert to fleshy drupe scored by a cleft, with a flattened, rough seed inside.

Note; alternating, narrow, deciduous, elongated leaves with finely serrated, slightly undulating margins partly obscure fruit

Note; the large fruit on short stems, bud directly from nodes along last years growth.  hard, and reddish, and covered with fine fuzz, peaches will ripen and turn soft if picked when fully grown.

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy; Poison Ivy Toxicodendron radicans L;.  A variable, noxious plant that grows as a clinging vine on tree trunks, or free-standing as a low, weak, or sprawling plant with reddish stems which sports coarsely toothed trifoliate leaves, and occasionally white berries.  Clusters of tiny (3/16”) green and yellow flowers, composed of 5 fleshy petals arranged around a yellowish disk of stamens and a white pistol, bud from old leaf scars, turning into smooth white berries, which some birds can eat without ill effects.  The glossy, compound leaves come in sets of three leaflets, each of which is deeply indented into three or five pointed lobes.  The leaves are generally small (2-3”) in upright plants, but much larger (4-6”) in the vine form.  Some vine forms have an extra set of leaves, arranged as a compound leaf of 5 leaflets. Vines attach to tree trunks with dense mats of roots, much like Virginia Creeper, but can be easily stripped off.  Rhizomes burrow through leaf litter, spreading underground.  The general rule, “Leaves of three, leave them be” was coined to warn people of the bad rash touching Poison Ivy leaves can induce.  Although there are other plants which bear leaves in sets of three (Ash, Hops, Skunk Berry), they are shaped differently.  Poison Ivy prefers acid soils around Juniper trees, reaching larger sizes near water.  Goats can graze the leaves with no ill effects.  Poison Ivy rash generally lasts two weeks, but lathering the rash with Burt’s Bees poison ivy soap can cut down on the itch and shorten the duration to days.  If exposed to leaves, wash with soap and cold water, as hot water may drive the poison into pores.  Do not attempt homeopathic remedies that involve drinking tea made from the leaves, for this has led to horrible reactions.  A few lucky individuals seem not to react to poison ivy.  Poison ivy cannot tolerate full sun, and is easy to eradicate by pulling runners out of the ground (guarding the skin with rubber gloves).  Do not burn dried plants, as the smoke can carry the toxic resin into the lungs. Leaves turn a dark red in the Fall.  (638-641) 4/13/15 – 5/15/15; 4/5/16; 3/10/17 – 4/10/17; 18 no obs; 4/1/19; 4/9/20;

Poison Ivy habit; a variable plant that may be a free standing, weak reddish stem, or a vine that climbs trees with short clinging roots, like Virginia creeper, or an Ivy, with trifoliate leaves and small greenish-yellow flowers that convert to white berries.

Note; glossy green leaves come in sets of three pointed, egg-shaped leaflets with coarsely toothed margins.  Some leaves have 5 leaflets.

Note; small spikes of greenish, fleshy flowers with five petals arranged around a ring of yellowish stamen, with a central, white pistol, are born from old leaf axils.

Note; flowers convert to greenish berries, which turn white when mature.

Note: leaves turn bright red in the fall