Sage; Texas Sage

Sage; Texas Sage, Leucophyllum frutescens.  This hardy, evergreen shrub from the Chihuahua desert sports light grey, rounded leaves, and bright purple tube flowers which are intensely fragrant.  A popular flowering hedge, Texas Sage tolerates trimming, is drought resistant, prefers full sun, and blooms when nothing else will.  The light grey, slightly fuzzy, oval leaves are attractive in their own right, and smell only slightly of sage.  The grey color and hairs give the shrub protection from both the hot sun, and cold desert nights.  The plant blooms irregularly, breaking out into full blooms several days after a rain, all the sage plants in an area blooming so vigorously that the shrub is covered with light purple tube flowers that open to a 5 petal corolla.  Flowers bud singly from the node of each leaf, covering new growths with blossoms.  Honey bees swarm to the heavily pungent flowers for the few days they are open.  This shrub will reach 10 – 15 feet in height if watered, but is usually shorter, preferring to spread out in a dense, compact, naturally rounded shape that needs little maintenance.  It does not propagate naturally in the DFW region, but does well when planted.  Most plants are found in yards, hedges around shopping centers, or boulevard medians.

Texas Sage; a compact shrub with light grey, fuzzy leaves which blooms periodically with masses of purple tube flowers.

Note; oval, slightly pointed, light grey leaves are densely arranged in an alternating whorl.

Note; all Texas Sage shrubs in an area will burst into flower at the same time, covering the plant with pungent, lavender blooms.

Note; lavender tube flowers, the throats speckled with orange or red, open up to a corolla of 5 lobes, two pointing up, three pointing down.

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

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

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.

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

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

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