Texas persimmons

When you start altering nature, it’s not quite clear what nature will do in response. 

Texas persimmon bloom. If you look closely, 

you can see a bug is inside.

Last fall we embarked on a frustrating quest to install a new refrigerator.  (What does this have to do with nature? Read on!) A big gorilla appliance store informed us that our driveway was too overgrown for its large trucks.  It’s a big gorilla, and only owns big trucks.

After four weeks of increasing aggravation, it dawned on me that if the gorilla’s trucks couldn’t negotiate our driveway, neither could a fire truck. It was time to trim trees. We spent a weekend whacking cedars (Ashe junipers), pruning live oaks, dragging brush and stacking firewood.

Nature is responding to the alteration favorably this time. The driveway runs smack through a Texas persimmon grove (Diospyros texana). I knew these little trees were thick on the other side of the drive, and had wanted to clear around them so they would be more visible. Trimming still needs to be done there.

But now, as we drive or walk towards our house, there is a lovely understory of fresh green developing in an unexpected place.  The persimmons are front and center, whereas before they were hidden in a cedar thicket. The cedar trees consume a huge amount of water, so I’m hoping that in their absence, the persimmons will grow more lushly and produce fruit prolifically.

These persimmons are a great wildlife plant, as they produce a small fruit that birds and other critters love.  They grow up to 35 feet tall, though ours seem to top out at 10 or 15 feet. They have an interesting multi-trunk form. Sometimes the bark peels off to show a gray/pink smooth trunk underneath. The young fruit is green and astringent, turning black and sweet when ripe. It is edible.

One of my favorite memories is of my 2-year-old, 30-lb. daughter picking ripe persimmons and feeding them to our 120-lb. yellow lab. He loved them, and she loved feeding him. Afterwards, her fingers and clothes would be stained a dark, orangey brown. The persimmons have been put to other fun kid uses over the years: included in salads of leaves and fruit, thrown at assorted targets (siblings?), and crushed for the dye.

In short, this is a great native plant to have on our property. I’m so excited to see it flourishing more visibly. Now if I can just get some help clearing the other area. Maybe I should order an even larger appliance. Hmm.

Bloomers on the hill

One of our most unusual natives is the death camas
(Zigadenus Nuttallii) - yes, it's poisonous.
We have exactly six of these that I've seen.
Unfortunately, I weed-whacked one the other day.  Arghh!

This post is dedicated to wildflowers and trees blooming today on the hill. The wildflowers seem to be getting off to a slow start this year, probably due to a lack of rainfall. We had 5.3" of rain in January, .5" of snow and .15" of rain in February, and no moisture at all so far in March. But our wildflowers are tough! They will survive!

These cheerful fellows are Texas stars

or Lindheimer daisies (Lindheimera texana). 

Lots of these grow in our yard.

Hurrah, bluebonnets are starting to bloom!
The Texas bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is our state flower.
We have a few little colonies in sunny locations.

One of our Texas mountain laurels (Sophora secundiflora) has begun blooming. This one is about 8 feet tall and is in full sun. We have others growing along the driveway and in the woods. 

The prairie fleabane (Erigeron modestus) is the predominant wildflower right now. It is a sweet little plant that is spread extravagantly through grassy areas. My book says it likes dry, calcareous soils - I guess it does!

The Texas redbuds in the woods still have some blooms.

Favorite spot in the garden:  

My favorite plant today is the bridal wreath (Spiraea prunifolia). I love this one so much, I planted a matching one at the other end of this bed. Can't wait for it to catch up! This one has been in the ground about five years.