It really HAS been a weird year. I had almost no butterflies all summer--not even the swallowtails on my coneflowers. But I had a ton of bees, which I usually don't. We also had way more hummers than usual. Then fall arrived and, also unusual, we had monarchs out our ears. But not a single cat. And I never saw a single sulfur all year.
Gardening with Texas Native Plants & Wildflowers, part 16.
I didn't see sulphurs earlier in the season, but this week I have seen several each day. But then I am outside a lot this week getting things ready for winter. Hoping this means we will have a better year next year.
I have seen some sulphurs lately also and a few dogface, but the ones I haven't seen any cats of are the giant swallowtails, and last year we had a lot of them. I miss them.
I had one Rue plant that survived from last year and was host for three cats. I still have the 3 chrysalis caged awaiting them to eclose. Hopefully they will soon, I hate it when they overwinter.
Josephine, your asters are so full and beautiful! I will try cutting them back a little this next year.
I'm hoping these are Goldeneye Sunflowers, Viguiera dentata. What do you think?
And our local variety of Flameleaf Sumac showing its fall color after we had a couple nights down into the 30's a while ago. We're talking about driving up where the fall colors might be even better.
LindaTX8
I think I read one of your posts about the buckeye butterfly. I've got several host plants for the buckeye and have yet to see a buckeye this year. Which of your hosts plants have you actually seen buckeye "cats" on. If I have some plants they don't use I'd get rid of them and get more of the particular host plant they prefer. Also have you ever seen any kind of "cat" on hollyhock. I know they are supposed to be hosts but in two years I've never seen anything on them.
Jameso
I haven't grown hollyhock, so I don't know about that. So far I've only seen Buckeye cats on Agalinis species in the fall. But not this year...the butterflies probably haven't even come through this area this year. I miss them! I also hadn't seen any Black Swallowtail cats this year until a couple of days ago, when I noticed 4 of them on my Rue.
LindaTX8
Thanks for the info. I've got agalinis seeds (the ones I planted last year didn't make it) so I'll double my efforts to make sure they survive next year. I may keep my other buckeye hosts for one more year. I haven't seen many butterflies this year. Last year there were always 20 to 25 sulphurs and more gulf frittaries on any one day but this year only one or two of each. Although I saw 5 sulphurs at the same time the last five days but only one frittary. Maybe because of the climate changes they are comming later. I normally keep about 25 to 35 partirdge peas for them but those plants are dead now so there's nothing for them to host on now. Next year I'll stagger the plantings so they I'll have live plants at this time. I have had a lot of success with the giant swallowails for some reason-lots and lots of eggs.
jameso
Linda I checked on the Viguiera dentata and yes that is it, very pretty, here is a link;
http://wildflower.org/gallery/species.php?id_plant=VIDE3
I don't have this one.
Josephine.
Well, I am planning to collect seed from those plants when they look ready. If you'd like some, I'd be happy to share! I had one planted out by the road once, but I think a flood killed it before too long. When I saw these, I couldn't even remember for sure what the V. dentata was supposed to look like, but they did look kind of like the picture in my field guide. Oh, I didn't see any sulfur cats this year either. Hardly any Partridge Pea plants came up this year, but I do have some Lindheimer Senna plants.
Thank you Linda, you are such a treasure!!! Many of the less common plants I have is because of you.
I think of you often when I see them.
Josephine.
While waiting for the oven repair person today (why do repair people always show up at almost the very end of their predicted arrival span?), I was taking some pics out in the garden. Got this contribution for the day. I call this the "Texas Gumbo". Manfreda maculosa swimming in a broth of betony. Seasoned with a lot of nutgrass. I figure that's a pretty good Texas stew (which I really need to get weeded!) for late November.
=)
Very nice Debbie, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Josephine.
Does that Manfreda maculosa go dormant at all for you? I had seeds in a trade that were supposed to be that, but the plant I grew stays dormant most of the year and I'm thinking maybe it could be something else. Of course, it could just dislike the Hill Country....some plants just seem to feel that way!
Linda--
Its nickname is 'the deciduous agave'; it becomes deciduous to survive droughts and can survive serious freezes without damage once well established (also by being deciduous). Some of my really small babies at the end of the summer, after Ike when we did not have any rain so to speak for 2 months, went dormant. But none of my plants over a year old did. I should have an overabundance of seeds this year I can send you. They form really thick, deep and well developed rhizomes for me; in fact, I don't like to dig them once in the ground for me; I'm always scared I can't get enough roots. I'm going to have to transplant that betony. I'm assuming its an easy to transplant perennial? It looks easy to root, so I may try that to hedge my bets. But its really getting too large that close to the M maculosa's.
Debbie
Very good information about the Manfreda Debbie, I wonder if it would be winter hardy in my zone 8a?
I would think if you have a protected area (south facing), maybe close to bricks or rocks it would do well. Perhaps throw some pine straw or leaves over it during the most severe cold snaps, then just rake off as soon as you can.
In that case I will give it a try as soon as I can, thank you Debbie.
It really is a little heart-breaking seeing how few little wildflowers have come up in the "wild" in this really bad drought in southcentral Texas. But I found a bunch of these on the slope in front of my street. Bless their little rosettes, it's bluebonnets! I haven't watered down there at all. Also, I wanted to give this link to the online images (at the wildflower center site) of the Bexar Co. Regional Herbarium. The actual herbarium is now housed at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Named for Harry T. Cliffe, who passed away December 26th. Amazingly, he and a few other loyal members of the S.A. chapter of NPSOT actually worked on this over many years. They taught themselves (with a little help) to use keys for ID's, understand some botanical terms, collect and mount plant specimens and did a professional job of putting together this herbarium, so I thought since it was named for him, it would be a great tribute to his memory to post this link:
http://www.wildflower.org/herbaria/results.php?county=Bexar
This message was edited Jan 1, 2009 4:43 PM
Hello Linda, thank you for the picture and for the link to the Herbarium it looks like those people were very dedicated to the native flora. We owe them a lot for taking the time to explore and document everything they could. I will add that to my list of links.
Josephine.
I heard last night that there was a possibility of some people cancelling a field trip to Cuero for that annual wildflower event. The reason being the drought and not much hope of a lot of wildflowers this spring. I'm not sure, but I think they said that the Cuero people who do that event might cancel the whole thing. I went to a NPSOT meeting in Comal Co. because they had a speaker from the NABA International Butterfly Park in south Texas. It seems the chapter was trying to put together two field trips this year, one weekend trip to the butterfly park and one to Cuero for their event. We had some drizzle the last day or so, but it's sunny today. I sure hope this drought ends soon!
Me too Linda, it is very dry around here also, and I am afraid the Bluebonnets are going to be very scarce this year, such a shame.
Josephine.
My Goodness, we trimmed the Coralberry plants at the wildscape yesterday and decided we need to start a lot more of them, so i just got back from the greenhouse after potting 250 cuttings, I hope they all take, Coralberry is such a wonderful plant ans also a great goundcover under trees.
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SYOR
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/symphoricarposorbic.htm
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56481
Josephine, do you know what eats the leaves on that? Here the leaves are eaten by something! Couldn't catch the rascals that do it.
No, we have never had that problem, so I am afraid I can't help.
Some of my coralberry gets whitish film on the leaves.
Yes, they can be prone to mildew sometimes, but it is not a permanent condition, mine haven't had it but some at the wildscape have.
Yes, I have noticed it in the wild too. Does the diluted milk spray work to rid the mildew?
It has for me on other plants, bur i have never tried it on the Coralberry.
Willis...those bluebonnets are GORGEOUS!! I am not seeing any bluebonnets here yet & only hope they are to come!!!
Why am I not having any luck with Clematis?? I keep it shaded but it never grows...
I am glad the TEXAS forum is back..I do agree that it was probably because we were out of season!! hahahaha
I know I am itching to get the garden going..have a few spring bulbs but not all are blooming, & they are new bulbs I planted last spring! hmmmm
What clematis do you have? Mine do pretty well for being in too much sun, and I don't do much to them.
oh..they have long died..I tried several different varieties & nothing came of them. So I gave up! hahaha
I wish I could get Clematis to grow, I have planted seeds but no luck, but i keep trying, I just planted them again.
Josephine.
This message was edited Feb 24, 2009 2:24 PM
mine were from plugs..each one from a reputable nursery...I think it's too hot as one person told me that TX is too hot for them.... however they keep selling them here so i am guessing they do grow in some places...just not mine! hahaha
I've always loved coral berry. One day, I'm going to have some in my yard!
Yesterday I found 6-packs of Blackfoot Daisy at Rainbow Nursery in S.A. for $4.99. I love bargains like that...couldn't resist leaving with some! But what I was there for was looking at tree prices. After our large shed is finished, I need to put in trees....and grass...and bushes. Men can't seem to do anything without wiping out vegetation. Groan!!
Oh Boy, I know what you mean, I need to have my patio resurfaced, the surrounding soil is now higher that the cement, so it collects water when it rains, that is of course if it rains, but i am dreading having it done because i know they will trample a lot of things, I would do it myself it i could.
Josephine
Yeah...nobody really worries about your yard and vegetation except yourself! Here's my Mexican Plum just starting to bloom for the first time. Hmmm, just the other day somebody that works in a nursery tried to tell me that Mexican Plum doesn't produce any kind of fruit. I thought...well, then all the info I've looked up is wrong, huh? I'm hoping I'll get fruit, even though I've heard people say they've had a M.P. for a long time and it hasn't produced anything.
