Lantana, Calico Lantana

Lantana; Calico Lantana Lantana urticoides/horrida. A native of central and south Texas, this deciduous, invasive plant quickly spreads onto poor, overgrazed, or disturbed soil.  A first generation succession plant, it can provide ground cover to reduce erosion, and can help stabilize leaf litter and add humus to the soil.  However, its leaves have a pungent smell, it stalks are lined with tiny, stiff, and sharp spines, and its juicy blue-black berries are poisonous to most animals, making it unpalatable to most livestock, hence the alternative species name, horrida.  Locally, Lantana is a deciduous perennial, but it cannot withstand severe freezes of northern clines.  Mildly fragrant, clustered flower heads begin as yellow, but turn lavender, purple, and red over time, hence the name ‘calico’.  Sphinx moths pollinate the flowers in the warm air of summer evenings, and several green orb spiders set up their webs for smaller fair that are attracted to the flowers.  Unlike many Texas natives which flower before leafing, Lantana blooms from new shoots that leaf out first.  The large, folded leaves, born in opposite pairs, have coarsely toothed margins.  DFW is in the extended range of Lantana, so while it will survive if planted and watered, it does not propagate locally, and so is restricted to gardens and flower beds.

Note; dense heads of 5 petal tube flowers begin as yellow, turning lavender with age.

Note; stiff, woody stems lined with ridges of small, stiff, sharp thorns

Note; days old flowers turn lavender with red centers around a nectar tube.

Note; bunches of juicy, blue black berries are strong smelling, and poison to most animals, though some birds eat them

Bluet; Rose Bluet

Bluet; Rose Bluet Hustonia rosea (Hedyotis rosea). A tiny, early blooming plant common in lawns, or spaces where vegetation suffers winter die back. The entire plant grows no more than 2” high, each stalk bearing a single, upright, cup-shaped flower with four petals ranging from bright blue to pale lavender to white.  Each flower appears to have a yellow cross in the middle, where the stamen form. The tiny, rounded leaves, born in opposite pairs along thin stems, are slightly succulent, and lacking petioles, clasp the soft stems.  the weakly upright, weakly branching stems loosely grow between stems of dormant grass.  New buds emerge from the crown of the plant as it grows.  Lawns (Not in Book) 2/12/19 – ; 2/18/20 – 3/22/20;

Note; light blue, four petal flowers born singly on very short stems

Viburnum, Rusty Blackhaw

Viburnum; Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum Viburnum rufidulum Raf;.  A small, understory, evergreen tree with cubed, but not ridged, corky bark, V rufidulum yearly produces new sprigs of glossy green, oval leaves with a very finely toothed margin, arranged in opposite pairs along the stems, completely lacking any drip-tip.  New stems, often long arching suckers off of the main trunk and branches, have a slight layer of rusty colored fuzz, giving the plant its descriptive name. Panicles of small, white, tube flowers that are mildly fragrant, bud from the ends of new growth.  The short tube ends in a corolla of 5 petals, with five white stamen, each tipped with a yellow anther, protruding beyond the profile of the flower, giving the bunches a slightly fuzzy look. The fruit are oblong, dark blue drupe with a single seed. Viburnum cultivars are popular in hedges, both for their yearly bloom of large, showy bunches of white flowers, and their glossy, evergreen foliage. (957-958) 3/30 – 4/15/15; 3/15 – 4/5/16; 3/22/17 – 4/7/17; 3/28/18; 19 no obs; 3/25/20;

Note; terminal bunches of white tube flowers that unfold into a corolla with 5 petals, the white stamen tipped with yellow anthers protrude beyond the profile of the flowers, giving the bunches a fuzzy look

Rusty Blackhaw habit; an evergreen, understory shrub with dark, corky bark, glossy foliage, and showy bunches of white flowers that convert to oblong blue drupes

Note; the dark bark is corky and divided into cubes, not furrowed ridges.

Note; bright, evergreen, glossy, oval leaves with very fine serration along the margins, are arranged in opposite pairs along stems, completely lacking any drip-tip

Privet; Glossy Privet

Privet; Glossy/Japanese Privet Ligustrum lucidum var. macrophyllum Ait;. Much bigger, more upright, and less aggressive than L sinense (Chinese privet), this vigorous, invasive, hardy, evergreen, ornamental from south-eastern Asia is more of an understory tree than bush.  The smooth, light grey bark of the trunks, often mottled with lichens, bear large (2-4”), glossy green, pointed leaves that are arranged in opposite pairs along long (6’+) arching stems.  More upright, L lucidum is an understory tree with 3-6 trunks, and though the stems might take root if they touched the ground, they rarely do. Terminal panicles of fragrant, white flowers, each with 4 rounded petals, grow out from the axils of new leaves and the ends of last year’s stems.  Flowers convert to blue-black, oblong fruit which remain on the bush through the winter, providing spring food for migrating birds.  L lucidum is common both in the thin soils of limy high ground and the deep soils of lowland flood plains. (856) 5/28/15- ; 16 not recrd; 17 not recrd; 5/26/18; 19 no obs; 5/10/20;

Glossy Privet habit; an upright, evergreen bush with tree like trunks, often mottled with lichens, which bears large, opposite, glossy, oval leaves, and terminal panicles of showy, white flowers

Note; the trunks are smooth, lacking the knobs of L sinense (Chinese privet)

Note; opposite, glossy, dark green, pointed, egg shaped leaves with a sharp drip-tip stay on the plant for several years

Note; terminal panicles of showy, white flowers with a mild fragrance, each flower composed of four rounded petals, stamen and pistol emerging beyond the flower profile

Note; each shallow tube flower has four rounded petals, two white, filamentous stamen tipped with cream colored anthers extending beyond the flower face

Privet; Chinese Privet

Privet; Chinese Privet Ligustrum sinense Lour;. This leggy, drooping, invasive, evergreen ornamental shrub was imported for its terminal spikes of fragrant white flowers and green foliage.  Privet sports multiple, small, trunk like stems which sprout from a central, shallow, bulbous root, sprouting new growth from the base and from branches in March, then developing terminal sprays of flowers which open in April or May.  Flowers convert to small, oblong, blue-black fruit that soon ripens, but does not fall until the next spring (March).  The mass of showy, fragrant flowers are white, with 4 elongated petals, arranged around a short tube, from which two filamentous stamen protrude, each tipped with a purple anther.  Pointed, elliptical leaves are born in opposite pairs along new stems, remaining for several years.  The long thin, brittle new shoots are easily snapped, but grow back quickly, gradually bending over if not supported, till they touch the ground. They will take root if they touch, so privet needs to be cut back twice a year to keep it in check.  Older trunks develop a knobby surface with sharp, spike like protuberances where opposite leaf ribs once grew. This privet has taken over large areas of moist bottom land, forming interlaced understory thickets that are nearly impenetrable without a machete or hardy nippers.  The roots are shallow and the stumps easily removed, but Privet can grow back from roots.  Privet does not colonize open grass land, as it does not tolerate full sun. (857) 4/25/15; 5/25/16; 4/18/17- ; 4/18/17; 5/20/18- ; 5/4/19; 5/15/20

Chinese Privet habit; an evergreen shrub with multiple, long, arching trunks radiating out from a central, shallow, bulbous root, stems taking root wherever they touch the ground, bearing attractive elliptical leaves and terminal sprays of fragrant white flowers

Note; evergreen, dark green leaves born in opposite pairs along stems.

Note; showy, terminal panicles of fragrant white flowers, each with four elliptical petals, and two white stamen tipped with purple anthers.

Note; each flower has four elongated, slightly curled, white petals arranged around a short, central tube from which two stamen, tipped with an anther, protrude

Note; flowers convert to black/dark blue, oval to round berries, eaten by many migrating birds

Mistletoe; Christmas Mistletoe

Mistletoe; Christmas/American Mistletoe Phoradendron flavescens Nutt;. There are dozens of varieties of mistletoe, in some cases one specific mistletoe parasitizing only one specific species of tree, or type of tree.  The most common mistletoe in central Texas, with a number of distinct varieties, P flavescens afflicts a range of plants, especially Cedar Elm and Hackberry.  Mesquite and cedars, and to a lesser degree, oaks are immune from this particular mistletoe, as they have their own.  Green all year long, mistletoe provides green foliage in the winter, producing translucent, white, round berries born in whorls on stems that rise from leaf axils.  The thick, leathery, oblong leaves arranged in opposite pairs, range from dark green to yellowish green, giving it its descriptive Latin species name, flava “yellow”.  Mistletoe are powerful abortatives in cattle, and are generally considered poisonous, though symptoms in humans are mostly stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, etc.  Passing through the digestive tracts of certain song-birds, Mistletoe sprouts from seeds, wrapped in a sticky coating which land on a branch, then drives wedge-like spikes through the bark and into the wood of its host tree. Intercepting plant juices and eventually taking over the branch it is on, it can kill the part further away from the trunk.  Pruning infected branches off is the most effective mechanical way of keeping mistletoe out of trees, for even if the brittle mistletoe twigs are snapped off they will grow back from the infection site.  17 not recrd; 18 no obs; 19 not recrd;

Note; an infestation of mistletoe makes a winter dormant Cedar Elm look green

Note; clumps of evergreen mistletoe.

Christmas Mistletoe habit; clumps of thick, oval leaves hanging from mature branches of trees, mostly Elm, Hackberry and Osage Orange, evergreen, with small white berries

Note; thick, oval leaves born in opposite pairs, each pair rotating 90 degrees, stay green all winter long

Note; small, round, white berries eaten by birds, bud in whorls from leaf axils, the seeds sticking to branches they fall on when expelled from birds that eat them

Forestiera; Texas Forestiera

Forestiera; Texas Forestiera/Swamp Privet Forestiera acuminate Poir;. Not really a privet, this scraggly, tough, deciduous shrub of the forest undergrowth is a native plant, and the first woody plant to bloom (late Feb.). Small greenish yellow, extremely fragrant flowers erupt from old leaf axils along the full length of leafless stems, attracting swarms of bees over their short blooming season.  Enjoy the fragrance, carefully, being sure to strain out the bees with each whiff.  Forestiera is not to be confused with Forsythia, which is also an early bloomer, and distantly related (both are in the Olive family), for Forsythia has large, yellow flowers, but is an imported, ornamental cultivar not native to the area.  Forestiera Flowers have little or no stem, and the stamens are longer than petals, giving the flower a fuzzy, domed look.  The dark blue to purple oblong fruit is over ½” long, the dry flesh encasing a single seed. Light green, oblong leaves, arranged in opposite pairs, erupt from new growth at leaf scars after flowers have dropped.  Unlike Yupon Holly and the Privets, the tough Forestiera stems are not straight, but zig and zag randomly out from a central root core, taking root wherever they touch soil. Most common in forested areas, usually unnoticed, even when it is blooming, usually crowded out in taller forests.  (852) 2/24-3/7/15; 2/14/16 – 2/24/16, 2/10/17 – 2/25/17; 2/10/18-2/17/18; 2/10/19 – ; 2/4/20 – 3/6/20;

Forestiera habit; long tough, crooked stems that form a tangle, taking root wherever they touch the soil, marked by opposite, oval leaves on new growth, and tiny yellowish flowers blooming directly from leaf nodes on old stems

Note; the first woody plants to flowers, the yellowish blooms emerge directly from old growth before leaves bud out

Note; the pungently fragrant flowers are little more than a pistol and a dome of stamen backed by short sepals which bud directly from old leaf scars, attracting lots of bees

Note; flowers, nearly lacking petals, are little more than hemispheres of stamen tipped with yellow anthers

Note: new growth, lined with opposite, oblong, glossy green leaves, bud out after flowers have closed up and fallen off

 

Dogwood; Rough-Leaf Dogwood

Dogwood; Rough-Leaf Dogwood Cornus drummondii Meyer;. This lanky, smooth barked, woody, deciduous shrub is an understory bush which prefers at least partial shade, often found along forest margins.  The medium sized, oval, deeply veined, matte leaves which are born in opposite pairs, end in a sharp drip-tip point and are rough to the touch.  This is NOT the large, four petaled Eastern Dogwood planted in many yards.  Attractive flower heads bud from the ends of new growth, forming dense clusters of small (1/4”) creamy white, slightly fragrant flowers, each with four petals.  The flower center is a reddish disk with a protruding green pistol and 4 filament like stamen capped with cream colored anthers.  Flowers convert to green berries which turn white when ripe.  (798-799) 4/29/15-5/20/15; 3/10/16-3/30/16; 4/14/17-4/28/17; 18 no obs; 4/29/19; 4/25/20;

Rough-leaf Dogwood habit; a leggy, woody shrub of forest margins and partial shade with opposite leaves that are rough to the touch, bearing terminal clusters of white flowers

Note; oval, rough textured leaves, glossy on the upper surface, with a prominent drip tip, and lateral veins that run the length of the leaf.

Note; dense terminal clusters of white flowers, the four petals joining at a reddish disk with a protruding green pistol and 4 filamentous stamen tipped with cream anthers.

Note; flowers convert to green berries which turn white when ripe

Note; mature, white berries

Currant; Snowberry

Currant; Snowberry/Indian-Currant/Coralberry Symphoricarpus orbiculatus Moench. A low-growing, evergreen ground-cover with smooth, oval leaves arranged in opposite pairs along reddish stems wrapped with loose, fibrous bark.  The plant spreads primarily by stolons, root-like growths that hug the ground, then take root at rough nodules in the leaf litter of forested areas.  Small (3/16”) greenish, bell-like flowers with pinkish blush, appear only on years marked by ideal moisture and temperature, hanging in short racimes from the underside of this year’s stems.  Though called ‘snowberry’, they do not tolerate frost once new growth begins.  Flowers give rise to crowded, irregular clumps of soft, hollow, coral red fruit that lasts through winter, providing food for many birds, including turkeys, giving the plant its moniker; turkey-bush.  (947-948) 6/20/15-; 6/10/17- ; 18 no obs; 19 no obs; 20 no obs;

Snowberry (Currant) habit; a low growing, evergreen ground cover in forested areas, spreading by runners which take root at nodule like growths along stolons, and bearing tiny bell like flowers that convert to coral red berries

Note; opposite pairs of oval leaves with smooth margins, which usually last through the winter

Note; pendulant racimes of tiny, bell like, green flowers with a pink blush hanging from new growths

Note; clumps of hollow, coral red fruit that hang on plants through the winter

American Beauty-Berry

Beauty-Berry; American Beauty-Berry Callicarpa americana L.  A woody, deciduous, understory shrub with slightly fuzzy twigs, and soft, broadly elliptical, opposite leaves with toothed margins.  The main stem does not develop thick bark, and branches are straight, but divide at sharp angles.  The leaves smell pleasant when disturbed, though they do not have a strong aroma, like spices or sages.  Small, white flowers with inconspicuous petals are born in small, dense umbels from leaf axils toward the ends of new stems.  The 5 basal stamen, each tipped with a yellow anther, protruding beyond the petals.  Flowers convert to crowded, dense clumps of light purple to blue berries, slightly sweet to the taste.  The berries, each with four tiny seeds, touch each other, seeming to bud directly from the stems.  (892) 8/15/18 (Berry 9/20/18); 6/18/19;

Beauty-berry flowers; a short, deciduous understory shrub with opposite, slightly fragrant, coarsely serrated leaves bearing dense umbels of small, white flowers from new leaf axils, the 5 basal stamen projecting beyond the 5 inconspicuous petals

Note; deciduous woody stems with thin bark and soft new growth preferring partial shade along trail margins, bearing broad, soft, slightly fragrant leaves with coarsely toothed margins, arranged in opposite pairs

Note; opposite pairs of large, soft, slightly fragrant leaves with coarsely toothed margins bud and grow in before flowers appear.

Note; tight bunches of light purple to blue berries, each with 4 tiny seeds, that have a slightly sweet taste