And a picture of the foliage.
Gardening with Texas Native Plants & Wildflowers, part 15.
They are so dainty and fill in the areas around and other taller plants. They are every where in my local this year with all of the rain. They are also much taller and fuller than I have seen them in years past.
You are lucky to have so many of them, this is the only clump I have seen, and I was thrilled.
Pappy Elkins park is nothing but a reserved piece of land with a few trails and a few benches, but boy, it is a little treasure chest of native plants and wildflowers.
I always have a great time when we go there.
So pretty...Josephine.... :) I've never seen those here before....I must be missing them since I live somewhat close to htop. But goodness, I've never seen such a variety out on the roads. We just got back from a drive thru the Hill Country....and all that I wanted to do, but didn't, was to pick dried seeds from everything, lol. And the Wine Cups! Lots of them everywhere...and much taller then I've ever seen them...
Melanie
Yes, this year is amazing, we drove to our friend's house in Granbury, and the hills were covered in yellow Coreopsis, Indian Blanket, and Bluebonnet, and it looked like the hills had been painted, it was gorgeous.
When Elderberry blooms, it's such a special treat. I didn't think it would grow here until one came up on its own one year. Even the drought didn't faze it too much!
Linda, our is blooming too, they are really beautiful. I have Sambucus canadensis, and someone just gave me Sambucus mexicana, I am hoping that will do well too.
Which one do you have?
Linda,
I am so happy you posted the picture of the white elderberry. Evidently, I have the same plant or at least it looks the same. This one had been appearing for many years, but I only saw the green leaf and not the flower. It's a fast grower, and I never had time to cut it, chop it, etc. and the beautiful flowers appeared last year for the first time. The scent of the flower is wonderful. I now see it blooming everywhere in our area. Either a bird dropped the seed or it was included in the many seeds that I have just tossed in that best-growing bed near the garage. It has just about covered the small garage door. Some of the leaves fell off during the winter, but they came back on the same plant with a vengeance this year.
Josephine, do you think it's the same as Linda's. Oh, my gosh, I'm on cloud nine!
Flowerette, it certainly looks like it, although it is hard to tell the difference between regular Elderberry and Mexican Elderberry, I believe the leaves are smaller on the Mexican one.
I just got my mexican one at the swap so it is a small plant, maybe Linda knows for sure.
We have a very large regular one by our compost area, that became a tree, we had to cut it back because of the electrical wires.
The fruit makes great jam, but if you don't want to mess with it, the birds will thank you.
Josephine.
Josephine, I'm not completely sure, but probably Sambucus canadensis. There's quite a bit of variations in the pictures of that one. I wouldn't think it could be the Mexican one, as the leaves look pretty large. I suspect it could have come from out of a compost pile that used to be near where it came up. Years ago I was sick and used a tea brewed with dried Elderberry seeds from a health food grocery and afterward threw what remained of the berries in the compost pile. I think S. nigra is also used herbally.
Every part of this plant can be used to sustain human life either as food or as natural medicines. It is considered a sacred plant by many Native American tribes. The link to a very interesting article by a native American woman is on my other computer which is not functioning right now. I haven't been able to find it now. I remember that the plant is called the "Mother Plant". The tribes would ask permission from Mother Earth to use the plant and would never use any parts from the oldest elderberry plant so that it could produce more plants to assist with sustaining life (human and animal). I have elderberries and until I read this article, I was going to rid my yard of all of them because they spread so prolifically.; but, I never could bring myself to do it because I love the plant. I am a native American descendant. Maybe my ancestors were speaking to me. :o) Now, I protect my "Mother Plant" making sure that I do not destroy it. As I have stated before, I have come to believe that "weeds" are on earth to provide nutrition and medicines. That's why they reproduce so prolifically and are found all over - so that they are available when needed. Almost every "weed" I have researched has been used medicinally or has high nutritional value.
Here is a link with information about its medicinal properties. I'll try to find the other one which describes all of the plant's uses.
http://medicinewomansroots.blogspot.com/2007/01/elder-mother.html
Hazel, thank you for the beautiful article, I love it, I feel like you, all plants are important and special.
In Master Naturalist class we learned that without plants to convert the energy from the sun there would be no life on Earth since humans and animals cannot convert the energy from the Sun directly, so without plants, no food, no life. They are the primary source of food on Earth.
Also without plants that cover the soil quickly, mainly weeds and grasses, our soil would wash away, filling up rivers and lakes.
So we need all the plants, I believe that God put them all here for a purpose, and we should be thankful for them.
Josephine.
Amen, Josephine.
I believe this to be one of the Heartleaf Skullcaps....Scutellaria ovata. Don't know which subspecies...there's several in Texas.
Very neat Linda, I will try and look it up, see what I can find out.
We went to Pappy Elkins park yesterday afternoon after church and it was lovely, many more flowers opening up, lots of Meadow Pink, but I just loved this scene,
I think it looks poetic.
Lovely, Josephine! Just what I needed to see...lately I've been preoccupied with problems and need to just relax and think about nature. I know one place in S.A. with a pond along a creek. Got to go by there.
Linda I found this link on Scutellaria ovata and it sure looks like yours.
http://www.missouriplants.com/Blueopp/Scutellaria_ovata_page.html
Josephine.
Hurray...my Standing Cypress is blooming...! :) I thought about staking the whole plant...but it seems to be comfortable lying on the Copper Canyon Daisys...lol I bet that alot of these blooming together are quite a sight to see... :)
Melanie
A better view upclose.....so pretty... :)
Melanie
Malanie, you are so lucky!!!, that is wonderful and you did a great job.
I just don't have luck with them, it must be my soil, because I don't know what else it could be. Congratulations!!!
Josephine.
Thank you, Josephine.... :) I believe that it was Debbie (dogmansis) who gave it to me at the SA RU last October... I think Lee received one as well.... They had them at my favorite nursery this Spring...and I definitely plan on planting more...and harvesting seed from this one if I can. :)
Melanie
Yep,...I got one also,...it's about 2 ft tall now and about to bloom.....I also have about a dozen small ones I started from seed....yours is beautiful!!
I can't believe the blooms on it, Lee....they just keep appearing at the end of this long, odd looking stalk...lol Are they easy to grow from seed? Oh...I've been able to get some Desert Willow seeds to sprout...and I'm looking forward to getting some more started.... such pretty blooms....... I seem to have lost half of my tree during the ice storm that we had in January....or was it February? hmm.....
Melanie
Oh, those are pretty, Melanie! My Desert Willow made it through the winter fine...always surprises me that so many plants came back after all that.
Hello Guys, we have been quite busy volunteering, propagating plants at home, and attending lots of meetings, but we also have taken time to visit the local parks and prairies.
Here are a few pictures from our area parks.
A glorious field of Black-eyed Susans at Pappy Elkins Park.
A lovely field of Meadow Pink, Sabatia campestris, I had never seen so many together.
Also at Pappy Elkins.
This message was edited Jun 13, 2007 3:13 PM
And a lovely group of Monarda punctata at the same park, that place is amazing!!!
beautiful photos...Josephine! I bet you can find all sorts of opportunities to take more out there.. :)
Melanie
Thank you Melanie.
We have been going almost every Saturday after church when it is cooler, and are discovering a lot of lovely things we hadn't seen before because we are going regularly and watching the plants evolve.
Josephine.
Well, I made a mistake, I guess! I was just happy my Purple Leatherflower vine was growing back so vigorously after winter. Didn't really think it was growing that high up. Now that it's blooming, guess what? I only see the blooms from afar, because the vine climbed so high up into the live oak above it...and up there is the only place it is blooming. Oh, bummer! I had to crop this photo quite a bit so the blooms could be seen at all.
That is very unusual Linda, normally they are not big vines, I guess this is a good year for it.
Josephine.
Loveing reading the thrad and getting caught up.
I have standing cypress babies - will they bloom next year you think? With all the rain I have been very very very worried about them.
Cowpen daisys are going nuts here - they love this weather.
Bladderpod is getting really tall too - it only lives one year right Josephine?
I have a small witchhazel dug out of some land near Gunbarrel City - it is a native or brought here? They also sent me home with a baby slash pine and water oak - but have jumped a foot in hightthe last few weeks so they must love their home.
I have been trying to grow whips of s huge native cottonwood here in town - two took! I also started seeds of an old mesquite in Ellis county and have 3 little babies from it... my Evergreen sumac is seeding too - and wow they are fast little growers at first. My cutleaf sumac at long last has the baby I needed - so Josephine I at lonf list have one for you in the Veggie bed just please remind me in the fall.
Anyone know about the large Prickly Cactus? I had one little paddle a few years ago and now the plant is taller then me... well it bloomed and bloomed now it is setting fruit. Are these the atuna they eat in Mexico all the time? They sure look like it to me... and I have heard that they are good eating up here too... used to love them down there.
I guess that is me for the last few months...
Mitch
Mitch, the Standing Cypress id biennial, they should bloom next year.
There are many Bladderpods, some are annual, some biennial, and some prennial.
Check http://www.npot.org/search.php and see how many there are, many are Endemic.
Of the Witch Hazels there is one native to Texas, Hamamelis virginiana
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/hamamelisvirginia.htm
As for the Cactus Pears, they should be edible, just be very careful as you atempt to peel them.
About the Cottonwood, do you know if the parent you took it from is cottonless?
I must tell you that having that cotton all over is quite a problem.
I think they are beautiful trees, but be sure you plant it at least 25 feet away from the house, I planted one that was too close and we had to take it down.
It broke my heart to do it, and it coast $500.00 ten years ago.
So be sure it is a male, and far enough from the house.
It is great to have you back.
Josephine.
Thanks for all the inforamtion Josephine. The Bladderpod seed were from you, that giant one you had last year.
They are male I think - or the tree got so old it stopped producing... they are both right now in the field area that we have beside the house - so the power company may take them out in a few years but it was fun getting them to grow.
Hamamelis virginiana - looks just like it - stunning little plant. Now to try cuttings...
Oh, so this is the one you are talking about Sesbsnia vesicaria;
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/107662
That one is an annual for sure, but really cute.
Josephine,
That is it looks great right now out in the garden - right at 2 feet tall already.
Josephine, I have been checking out the blooms on my Red Texas Star Hibiscus. Today one opened that has 6 petals. Maybe some had more than 5 petals last year and I did not notice it. Now, I hope I have a bloom with 7 petals. :o)
That would be great Hazel, they sure are pretty, we had a few open today, but just the regular kind.
My Texas Stars are tall but no buds no blooms - what would make them do that?
Hazel glad to see you back on here too.