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.

Treebine

Treebine; Cissus incisa Desmoul;. This soft stemmed, vine like, readily branching, deciduous plant that is a member of the grape family, Vitis, zig-zags between leaf nodes.  Three lobed, crisp, almost succulent leaves, with coarse, pointed teeth and drip tips on each lobe, bud from each node, alternating sides, a climbing tendril grows opposite each leaf.  Umbels of tiny green flowers which, like grapes, lack petals, bud from the ends of new growth, converting to loose bunches of black, juicy berries that look like grapes, but generally are not eaten.  Treebine grows abundantly in well watered areas, though its tuberous root stores water, making it drought tolerant.  It is usually found clamoring over other plants, but is often out of sight, as it readily climbs into the crowns of surrounding trees in search of light. (709) 6/10/17; 5/18/18; 19 no obs; 20 no obs;

Treebine habit; a woody, but soft vine-like plant that zig-zags between nodes, bearing coarsely toothed trifoliate leaves and umbels of tiny flowers that convert to juicy, black berries.

Note; crisp, succulent trifoliate leaves with coarse, pointed teeth on each leaflet, alternating along the soft stems, climbing tendrils growing opposite leaves at each node

Note; umbels of tiny greenish flowers lacking petals bud from the ends of new growth

Note; loose bunches of black, juicy, grape-like drupes, generally inedible, but not poisonous

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.

Plum; Flatwoods Plum

Plum; Flatwoods Plum Prunus umbellate Ell;. Southern forests host many variable, similar scraggly, deciduous, understory plums with distinctive, dark scaly bark and twigs that end in a sharp, hard thorn.  Oval shaped leaves with a finely serrated margin and prominent drip-tip, alternate along short stems, which become a sharp thorn when the leaves drop.  Plums are the first fruit trees to flower in the spring (late Feb to early March), umbels of fragrant, white blossoms ½ – ¾” across (no pix) budding from last year’s twigs before new leaves develop. Each flower is composed of 5 oval petals surrounding a central pistol and a dome of filamentous stamen.  Early blooms risk late frosts or ice-storms, in which case the tree may produce a second, smaller bloom. The small ( ½ – ¾ ”), light purple, pulpy fruit, ripening between June and July, are somewhat dry and tart, but are sweet enough to be eaten.  The pit is round and flattened. The wood is a dark brown with slightly darker striations.  It is common on shallow lime-stone soil, but grows well in deeper, moist bottom lands too. Also known locally as Chickasaw Plum. (401) 3/5 – 27/15; 2/22/16 – 3/14/16 (fruit 6/15/16); 2/18/17 – 3/15/17; 3/6/18 – 3/20/18; 2/18/20 – 3/10/20;

Note; umbels of white fragrant flowers with multiple stamen budding from leaf nodes on last year’s twigs

Flatwoods Plum habit; a slightly scraggly understory tree with distinctive, scaly bark and long, woody thorns, bearing soft, alternating, oval leaves with finely serrated margins, producing umbels of fragrant, white flowers composed of 5 petals arranged around a dome of stamen.

Note; the scaly bark is nearly black in color, mottled with dark grey

Note; younger stems have smooth, light grey bark which peels away revealing a mahogany color

Note; the alternating leaves are an elliptical oval with a finely serrated margin and a prominent drip tip.

Note; Flatwood Plum bear flowers in loose clusters

Persimmon; Texas Persimmon

Persimmon; Texas Persimmon Diospyros texana Scheele;. This tall, somewhat ragged, deciduous tree has leaves that are thicker at the end than the stem (spatulate), arranged in an alternating pattern along this year’s twigs.  The heart-wood is dense and brown (unlike the black persimmon from further south in Texas), and takes a nice polish.  Young stems are smooth, but the bark on mature trunks is broken into corky cubes.  Small greenish white, cup-shaped flowers (no pix) erupt from this year’s leaf axils, forming round, orange, pulpy fruit up to 1” across with many flattened almond shaped seeds less than ½” long.  The fruit is sweet when it ripens, but contains more seeds than pulp.  The fruit that falls is eaten by possum and coyotes, but from the prevalence of the seeds in scat, most are eaten by raccoons.  Persimmons prefer deeper soils along streams in bottom lands.  (838-839) 17 no obs; 5/6/18; 5/11/19; 5/10/20;

Texas Persimmon habit; a tall, straight tree with dark grey, corky bark broken into cubes, bearing alternating spatulate leaves and fleshy flowers that convert to 1″ orange, pulpy fruit.

Note; grey bark is broken into corky cubes

Note; spatulate leaves arranged in an alternating pattern along new twigs.

Note; orangish, pulpy fruit about 1” in diameter, full of ¼” seeds.

Note; fall colors yellow to orange

Note; greenish, bell shaped flowers

Note; seeds prevalent in racoon scat

 

Crape-Myrtle; Ladies Streamers

Crape-Myrtle; Crape-Myrtle/Ladies Streamers Lagerstoemia indica L;.  This relatively small, deciduous, multi-trunked tree, originally from drier parts of India, grows from a bulbous base, allowing it to survive fire, drought and flooding.  The smooth, reddish-brown bark sheds in layers, revealing greyish new bark underneath.  Though hardy, and having viable seeds, this commonly planted cultivar, grown for its attractive flowers and foliage,  has not been known to reproduce itself in forests, or on the prairies.  In yards, the tree sprouts, often as not, from roots, rather than its seeds.  An evergreen in tropical environments, but deciduous in temperate zones, or regions with a prolonged dry season, it tolerates Dallas summers, blooming in July.  New growth and suckers sprout in May, the attractive, glossy, oval leaves arranged in an alternating pattern, followed by terminal panicles of round, purplish buds which open to 1” showy, lightly fragrant flowers with crape like petals born on filaments, and curved pistols and stamen that project well beyond the petals.  Modern hybrids range from white to deep red to purple.  Flowers convert to black capsules less than ½” across, filled with small, hard seeds.  New shoots, covered in a light grey powdery substance, can grow as much as 5’ in one season, needing yearly pruning to shape the tree and encourage blooming. (787) 5/15/16; 5/8/17; 5/25/18; 5/25/19; 5/27/20;

Note; terminal, dense panicles of round buds open nearly all at once, weighing the stems down

Crape Myrtle habit; multiple, leggy trunks with bark that peels off in layers, glossy oval leaves

Note; glossy, crisp, oval leaves are arranged alternately along new growth, which are leggy and brittle

Note; round buds open to frilly, crape like petals and curved pistols and stamen that protrude beyond the flower profile

Note; flowers have a lite, pleasant fragrance most obvious during the heat of the day