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

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

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

 

Oak; Live Oak

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Oak; Live Oak Quercus virginiana Mill;. Dallas is beyond the northern edge of the natural range of live oaks, but the trees grow here if planted and watered for the first few years.  The deeply furrowed, rough, black bark of this readily branching evergreen contrasts with the glossy dark green of its small (<2”) evergreen leaves, which depending on the variety, range from slightly curled with sharp holly-like points, to smooth and elongated ovals.  The leaves last for two or more years, older leaves shedding in the spring just before new leaves grow in (mid-March).  Live Oaks reproduce from catkins, tiny spikes of miniscule flowers, a few of which convert to acorns that are much longer than most oaks, often turning bronze in color after they fall.  The slow growth, spreading growth pattern, drought resistance and evergreen qualities make this tough, dense-wooded tree a favorite for large yards or campuses.  Though the long, drooping, habit of new growth gives this oak a scraggly look when young, it usually grows wider than tall, achieving a manicured, rounded profile.  The tough, dense, springy wood, favored by ship-builders, allows the branches to extend far outward, making them safe for kids to climb in without fear they will breaking.  The leaves and bark, are so heavy with tannin that they do not make good mulch.  The acorns, longer than other types of oak, end in a terminal spike, and held in exceptionally small caps, are green when they fall, but soon turn a rich brown.  They sprout easily, if they escape acorn weevils, and form an enlarged, woody, tuber-like base just underground which preserves young tree through dry periods.  Light brown, woody galls caused by tiny wasps, form on twigs. (170-171) 4/10/15; 3/26/16-4/15/17; 3/22/18 – 4/10/18; 3/25/19 – 4/20/19; 3/25/20 – 4/17/20;

Live Oak habit; a slow growing, evergreen oak that branches readily, with dark grey to black, deeply furrowed (or cubed), corky bark, and very dense, springy, hard wood that produces elongated, rich brown colored acorns.

Note; nearly black, deeply furrowed, corky bark, often broken into cubes, rather than ridges, with a spreading habit

Note; long, tough, dark green leaves, sometimes with tooth-like projections along the margins, which shed just before catkins and new growth appear in the spring

Note; fuzzy catkins which emerge just as the tree is budding new, wispy growth with fresh leaves

Note; grey stem galls caused by a tiny wasp.  These are not the fruit of the tree

Note; acorns are long and thin, with a sharp tip, and a very small cap, green when they fall, but turning a rich brown after a few days.

Note; rich brown color, extra small cap, elongated form, and tiny hole where a wevil larva exited.

Oak; Bur Oak

Oak; Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa Michx;. A large, deciduous, relatively fast growing (for an oak!), open crowned tree with huge 2” acorns and gigantic (6-12”), undulating leaves that are deeply cut, each lobe having rounded corners rather than pointed tips.  The dark grey, corky bark is deeply furrowed, and the brown heart-wood is surrounded by 4” of tan sap-wood.  Oaks produce catkins, tiny spikes of miniscule flowers that look fuzzy, from the tips of last year’s stems, just as new shoots are budding.  Bur Oak bears the largest acorns of all oaks earning it the scientific name macro-carpa ‘big-fruit’. The deep acorn cap, fringed with stiff, burr-like curled fibers, enfolds over half the acorn, from which the common name ‘burr oak’ is derived.  Locally, the natural range of Bur Oak is the bottom lands or flood basins, where there is deeper soil and more water, but it will grow in shallow soils if watered for years.  It is an impressive tree, but due to its irregular shape, size and loose crown, is not commonly grown in yards. (148-149) 4/10/15; 3/25/16-? ; 18 no obs; 3/25/19-4/1/19; 3/25/20

Burr Oak habit; a large, open crowned tree native to moist bottom lands with deeply furrowed bark, huge acorns and long, undulating, rounded leaves.

Note; thick, deeply furrowed, dark grey, corky bark covers thick sap wood.

Note; gigantic (6-12”), undulating leaves with deep sinuses dividing lobes with rounded tips

Note; catkins bud from tips of last year’s stems just as new shoots are sprouting (March-early April)

Note; huge acorns up to 2” long, mostly concealed by a rough, scaly cap with a fringe of stiff, burr like hairs.

Mimosa; Mimosa Silk Tree

Mimosa; Mimosa/Silk Tree Albizia julibrissin Durazz;. A native of Asia, this deciduous, smooth barked tree of medium height thrives in hot weather and tolerates drought, winning it popular use in decorating southern coastal cities.  Otherwise, unlike the Neem tree, it does not take over wild lands.  The alternating leaves are doubly compound, being fronds up to 12” long composed of leaflets up to 4” long arranged in opposite pairs along leaf ribs, themselves composed of tiny, oblong leaflets in opposite pairs.  The fragrant flowers, born on terminal spikes, are pink-red, fading to white toward the center, so covered in silky stamen that they appear as fluffy hemispheres. The flattened seed-pods are up to a foot long, the seeds forming regular lumps under the surface. (500-501) 5/18/16; 5/20/17- ; 5/22/18; 5/25/19; 5/24/20;

Mimosa habit; a medium sized, smooth barked tree with soft wood, compound leaves and silky, pink flowers that convert to flattened bean like pods

Note; doubly pinnate leaves made up of ‘fronds’ lined with opposite sets of pinnate leaflets composed of opposite, slightly curved leaflets

Note; pink flowers, whitening toward the center, so covered with filamentous stamen that they appear to be fuzzy hemispheres

Note; flowers convert to flattened bean like pods, the seeds embedded in fibrous pod sections

Mesquite; Honey Mesquite

Mesquite; Honey Mesquite Prosopis juliflora var. glandulosa Cockerell;. A variable, medium sized, drooping, deciduous tree with fine, leathery leaflets, Mesquite is the favored wood for barbecues, but a curse for ranchers.  Mesquite drops long seed pods and thorny stems, disqualifying it as a lawn tree. However, the frond like pinnate leaves, composed of leathery, strap like leaflets arranged in opposite pairs, produce a pleasant, light shade.  A short, sharp spine projects from each leaf node along the twigs. The deeply furrowed bark, dark when young, lightening with age, is heavy with tannin, staining the soil and any water it falls in. The wood is brittle and heavy, dark reddish-brown streaked with black, but rarely straight enough for lumber or furniture.  It decays above ground, but is impervious to rot underground, so stumps do not rot out.  Old trunks are invariably hollow, but continue to live, as long as live wood grows on the outer perimeter.  The elongated fluffy, greenish white flowers are fragrant, but short lived, converting to long (4-9”), slightly flattened pods, with small flattened seeds.  Amerind people ground and leached the beans to make a thick flour.  The leaflets are nutritious and moist, and though protected by thorns, make excellent fodder.  It is the first tree to colonize overgrazed range-land, so its range spread following over-grazing and the Dustbowl.  Mesquite grow upright on long arching suckers, which continue to droop each year, till nearly prone.  They are nearly impossible to eradicate, as they resist fire and sprout back from roots, but because the tree does not grow upright it is soon crowded out by oaks, juniper and elm.  Mesquite prairies extend from Mexico to Oklahoma, dominating a belt that runs from Mexico through San Antonio, Stephenville and Vernon.  Green wood is often burned in –BQ or grills, for it burns slow and produces steam, which keeps meat from drying out.  Local lore claims that once mesquite blooms there is no longer danger of frost.  The three named varieties, (glandulosa, velutina and torreyana) are difficult to distinguish.  (515-516) 4/20/15 – 5/1/15; 4/25/16; 3/28/17- ; 4/15/18; 19 not recrd; 4/24/20;

Honey Mesquite habit; a sprawling tree with deeply furrowed, coarse bark, sharp spines, and leathery leaflets, bearing fluffy greenish white flowers which convert to light colored bean pods

Note; deeply furrowed, fibrous, grey bark is laced with tannins, staining water a dark red

Note; arching new growth slowly droops towards the ground till nearly prone

Note; pinnate, frond like leaves, composed of opposite pairs of strap-like, leathery, light green leaves

Note; long columnar spikes of flowers, made up of many tiny flowers, are lightly fragrant

Note; sharp spines at each leaf node along the twigs

Note; long been pods