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.

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

Willow; Western Black Willow

Willow; Western Black Willow Silax nigra var. vallicola Dudley;. A fast growing, tall, thin tree found along stream beds or ponds, with narrow, strap-like leaves up to 3” long with a finely toothed margin.  S. nigra does not produce the long switches, such as those put out by weeping willow, but brittle twigs.  Trunks are covered in grey, shaggy, papery bark, which give cover for many small critters, so the name ‘black’ is a misnomer, as the wood is white.  It flowers in catkins covered with soft yellow hair, female trees soon producing strings of fluffy cotton pods which carry the tiny seeds on the wind. Normally deciduous, turning bright yellow in the fall, leaves can remain if it does not frost. The wood rots quickly, so even large limbs break easily, and even large dead trunks topple easily.  (95-96) 15 no obs (cotton 5/30/15); 3/28/17- ; 18 no obs (cotton 5/20/18); 5/1/19 (cotton 6/10/19); 4/25/20 (cotton 6/10/19);

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; 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

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

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

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