Larry, yes Roughleaf dogwood is a very nice and important tree and I have two of them, it love them too and have given away small potted ones to friends. All those three you mentioned are wonderful for the wildlife.
It looks like you have a lot of the plants needed for a wildscape, would like to be part of the seed exchange group?
Those interested in a wildscape certification
I'm in a seed Robin now, my first one. There seems to be a few problems with the larger RR and was thinking a regional RR would be better for getting more useable seeds for your area. I also like the way this RR may work, making deals for what you want and not passing a box around.
I had an area I was keeping wild. Well, this week that changed, we had it cleared just enough to install a septic system and turns out they cleared the whole lot. Good news is I have lots of room for plants now. I would like the keep the far end Native. I had a small flock of Chacalockas(sp) til my new neighbor felt he needed some target practice.
I don't have alot to offer, especially sense it is late in the season, but I will do what I can.
Thanks
Dane
So Josephine...Tell me once more...on the requirements for the TX Wildlife Habitat does the 50% natives have to be Texas natives? I was surprized to find out what we call TX Star or Swamp Hibiscus was only native as far as Louisiana. Also the 'blue crown' PV that is evergreen, also not a TX native. Would those count toward certification?
I need to get a roughleaf dogwood from you in the future. I have always missed the ones you offered before.
Hello Dane, I am sorry they took away more of your vegetation than you had intended.
This is all about sharing and helping others to accomplish their goals. This is going to be a lot of fun.
Josephine.
Yes, they have to be Texas natives.
The Texas Star, Hibiscus coccineus was at one time listed as native to Texas, but they changed it,
it is now listed as native to the south east US, although some people maintain that it grows naturally in the east Texas swamps.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch
Passiflora caerulea is not native to the US, native to Brazil and Argentina, I had trouble finding a reference but here it is
http://www.paghat.com/passiflora.html
These are both wonderful plants and not on the Texas invasives list so keep them, they just don't count toward your 50%
Josephine I can contribute seeds and shrubs at times for the groups projects. But all of the natives I have been placed there by the wild birds, animals and the wind. What I have is nature's landscaping. Not by my design. Something new to me is always appearing.
Within the last five years Cherokee Rose has just appeared. Not a native. The birds love the hips and distribute seeds widely. Fresh seed germinates in 3 to 6 weeks, no seed treatment needed. Anybody want one or seeds?
The time of year mowing occurs has a direct effect on how many and what kind of wildflowers will be in abundance. 20 years ago I thought most wildflowers were weeds. 20 years after the wheat farming stopped the weeds are now wildflowers and they are everywhere.
I don't even know what a chockalocka is, but I would like a pair of those. I'm guessing something like a small winged oompaloompa?
Roughleaf dogwood gets mentioned a lot here, fwiw, but yeah, they're pretty hard to find commercially, and they tend to get swept away with the underbrush when someone is clearing for development. If you can save seeds or pot transplants for a place where they can be attended to, I think that would be a real wildscape benefit.
Has anyone mentioned red false yucca? That's another one that wouldn't be so good in a rich well-watered bed, but they're great in sun and drier and rockier. Hummingbirds love them, and easy to grow from seed. I've got a modest amount of seeds if anyone wants some, but honestly, shopping centers and such where they're used in the landscaping will usually let you just take some pods.
Found it, sometimes spelling is everything.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Plain_Chachalaca/id
Realbird I planted two year old seedlings of red flower yuccas this spring.
How many years before the red flower yucca starts flowering?
I have never seen one in bloom except in pictures.
I have three in the ground, 11 more in pots and a bunch of seed from 2007 my DW collected.
Larry, your wildscape doesn't have to be built by you, you just have to maintain it, and remove undesirable plants
You could put you seeds on the trade thread when it is going.
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Red Yucca is indeed a wonderful plant. Put those on the trade thread too.
Undesirable plants?
I find a lot of my natives to be undesirable plants especially the ones that grab me and make me bleed when strolling in the thicket.
My skin has gotten so tough poison ivy no longer bothers me but I still bleed.
Is there a undesirable natives plant list or is it just undesirable plants?
Not that I have time or energy to remove them from 20+ acres, I assume you could dedicate a small area for certifcation. I would love to see the list of undesirable plants just to see how many I have.
Very funny Larry, I meant undesirable for the wildlife. Here is the link to the Teaxs Invasives site.
You can search by common or scientific name.
http://www.texasinvasives.org/invasives_database/index.php
Have fun, lots of surprises too.
Josephine.
Lazlo (Austin) and I (Belton) would like to participate...I am very interested in the propagation and expanding the species in my garden for wildlife...humm...well maybe not the deer...thanks, MaryAnn
That is great! we will put you on the list.
Here is a mass of seeds in can now harvest. I am color challenged in the red/green vision area. So don't trust me on colors. Here is some seeds that are ready to harvest. They get to about mid thigh in height and have violet/purple flowers that remind me of orchids but consider the source of that description. They are very pretty. Some of the blooms stayed on until the first of November. I don't remember when they started blooming.
This is where I saw the bc passi was native to LA & a few other states.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PACA22
But it won't count as you said since we are only considering TX natives, but it is still a keeper in my book.
Opps....edited to say ignore my post..there is an "i" next to L48 and it indicates it was introduced. My bad....still learning from my mistakes as I said.
This message was edited Nov 19, 2010 12:25 PM
Is that maybe Penstemon Larry?
Can't really distinquish the pods in your picture.
Here is a spot wherer they were abundant. I have plenty to share what ever they are.
Sheila I believe that may be what they are.
The Brazos Penstemon are almost evergreen in our area and will reseed nicely. Great Tx native with very long bloom period.
Here is a pretty. Red cedar blue berrys.
OK, just so I understand this...if I have several varieties (white, red, garnet, pink, lipstick) of Salvia Greggii, and SG is considered a Texas Native, they would all count as 1 towards the 50%?
Tricky one that...the Ranger that inspected my yard counted species only and did not distinguish between colors or even cultivars, but then I had more than the 50% in the first few moments and he got tired of counting...he didn't exactly take an inventory and he keep asking me questions about the natives where?...where I got them? How I grew them?...it was an interesting 'interview' to say the least....He also seemed to be looking for more trees, shrubs, etc. than the annuals...and I worked sooo hard on that bluebonnet patch...come to think of it...I could count each of the bluebonnets!!! LOL
Yes, each species counts as one plant. It is interesting that a ranger came to your place, no one came to ours, we just sent in the application detailing the plants and a scketch of the yard showing where they are located.
Hummm, yes it is...but that was a long time ago...likely they had more staff then...
Wow, I've never heard of a ranger coming out. He must have been trying to track down your meth lab...
haha! Maybe now I won't go for the certification.
I guess it goes the other way too for non natives. All varieties of daylilies, roses count as one. If so, this will make the counting easier.
I thought about that too Anna. I have a lot of varieties of daffodil, iris and lilies that I have lost names on. Hopefully gingers will be one also.
Are we on target Josephine?
Yes, they also count as one, of course it will be expected that you will have a larger area dedicated to native plants that to exotics, it takes time to build up, and also to arrange the plants to help the wildlife. Taking an inventory shows you where you stand and that helps.
That is why it is a good idea to send for the kit, then work according to their instructions.
After you think you are ready you send in the application and they evaluate it, then send you the plaque if they approve it.
I am excited as I make my list and see how many natives I have. I am up to 55 varieties now!! I haven't walked the yard or looked at pictures yet, I am just doing it from memory of the beds.
I know I need to stop today and go see what seeds I have to share.
Make sure you use the right Data Base. The first one I tried I had maybe 4 plants that counted. Went to USDA and now I have 16 and counting. Maybe this was the wrong DB. I was using other peoples list but I guess others are taking inventory also and I'm in a diffrent region.
Dane
Can it be a TX native or does it have to be just for the region of TX I live in?
C
Yes, USDA has all the Texas natives plus all other plants native to other states. They also have all the exotics that grow in all the states.
When you check on a plant the picture or info will come up and to the left of it will be a list of attributes. The last Item will say L48 N that means native to one or more of the states, then you scroll down the page and see which state or states it is native to, those will be shaded green.
If it says L48 I That means it is introduced and it is not native.
Wildflower.org only shows the plants native to the US, so if you put in a name and it does come up that means native to the US not necessarily Texas, scroll down and they have all the states that it is native to listed, if Texas is not listed then it is not native to Texas.
I like Wildflower.org because it tells you a lot about the plants, and USDA because of the maps, I use them both a lot.
Josephine.
If it is a Texas native it counts, although they prefer that you use plants indigenous to you region for the wildlife.
I grow many Texas native plants that are not indigenous to this region because I am also working on plant conservation, and I like plants that are beautiful, but the majority of my plants are indigenous.
This message was edited Nov 20, 2010 1:00 PM
I am sure I will have to whittle mine down when I actually get started with verifiying them on the list. Some I have all over some just one small plant.
One plant counts, I think.
I got rid of all my tall mex. petunias but the dwarf still show up. Are they native or on the invasives list? I also brought some purple loosestrife with me from MI, it was a plant of my mothers and is sterile. Is it on the no fly list in TX?
C
Cheryl, I am sorry but the Loosestrife is on the invasives list;
http://www.texasinvasives.org/invasives_database/detail.php?symbol=LYSA2
Since it is from your mother it does have sentimental value. You could cut the seedheads as soon as the flowers fade if you want to keep it, or do what you think is best.
Mexican Petunia, Ruellia caerulea also called Ruellia britoniana is also on the invasives list;
http://www.texasinvasives.org/invasives_database/detail.php?symbol=RUCA19
The Dwarf Katie's ruellia is a sport of britoniana and is not mentioned on the list, but it is not native.
This variety is sterile and does not produce seeds. The only way to propagate is by cuttings. I also know it will not grow in dry areas so the idea of it being invasive in any non wetland area is unrealistic.
C
Well, in that case you have nothing to worry about.