what was in the blackland part of texas back in the day of the cowboys and indians?
also, i'm thinking of putting an anacua tree in the front yard. anybody have information on that?
and does anyone know where i could buy a fairly large red texas buckeye tree?
tell me about texas native grass
These link may help you.
http://www.ctufc.org/nativeplants.htm
http://www.abisw.org/bezanson/Chapter5.pdf
http://www.texasprairie.org/Resources/BookReviewPrairieTime.shtml
http://www.npsot.org/symposium2007/home/regions.shtml#Blackland_Prairies
http://www.co.bell.tx.us/bellnet/bellnetweb/web/PrairiePlants.htm
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/books/landscapes/publications/txu-oclc-1032906/txu-oclc-1032906-b-039.html
The anacua is a good native tree. It's drought tolerant, deer resistant and a fast grower. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it casts a deep shade, but if that's not a problem...
You could contact the Great Outdoors nursery and ask how large their Texas red buckeyes are.
http://www.gonursery.com/austin-gardens-deer-resistant-plants.html
i have no deep shade so this might be a good thing for me.
I asked Robert, my DH, who has a background in ag ed, and he said little bluestem, big bluestem, and Indian grass. Then I found this. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/GG/gqg1.html We have way too much "improved" grass on our small ranch and are encouraging the native grasses, especially those that provide winter grazing. I have lots of the little bluestem and perhaps some of the others as our home is on 1.5 acres that has never been anything but hilltop pasture. LOL I can also share shinnery, briars, and other problematic plants too if you would like.
Our ranch is located in the Post Oak Savannah belt so our native grasses are slightly different. We've got "improved" grasses also, but I've noted that the cattle will eat the many of the natives first, and eating the "improved' last. I've been doing a lot of research on which natives would be best for my area. First I have to convince my DH that we have to institute some rotational grazing first because natives can't be grazed as short as Bermuda or other "improved" grasses. They tend to die if grazed too much. There are some natives, the cattle didn't touch even in the exceptional drought we are still in. I can share some problematic natives that overlap prairies. LOL!
patrob.....do you have a lot of little bluestem that i could have?
Barb, I have lots of little bluestem to share. Right now I have my little tractor with the front-end loader in town, so it would be easy to dig. Digging the clumps by hand is a pain in the back. There will be seeds too later on.
I'm restoring some grasses around our new shed, but it's Hill Country, so the grasses are different. Most native grasses can have seed planted in the spring. But then the area has to be watered to get them going if rain doesn't happen much...we are still in drought still where I live, so as much as I hate to, I have a hose and sprinkler connected up over there. I'm also planting some clumps of grasses. And I'm just hoping that weedy nonnative grasses don't pop up. That's a problem when you've had construction and "fill" brought in. I already have KR Bluestem on parts of the property...just about impossible to get rid of that.
patrob.......how close are you to glenrose? if i tell my kids i will take them to glenrose then they won't mind coming thru goldthwaite. or we could come on our way home. i plan on killing all this bermuda/st. augustine as i hate it dearly, esp. bermuda. the cardboard is already down in the front yard. talked to the city and it looks like i am exempt from the normal standards as i am under cultivation. i love it.
LOL Goldthwaite is a little over 80 miles SW of Glen Rose, about 186 miles total from Fate. You are certainly welcome to the grass, but it might take a pretty big bribe to get the kids cheerful about riding that many hours and helping plant grass afterwards.
well goldthwaite must be close to something they want to see. would i go to luckenbach thru goldthwaite? lol. gotta take em to luckenbach to see if we can find where their dad wrote his name on the fire house down there. i'll go check the map. and if i have to then i might just mosey on down in the fall which would prob. be better anyway.
i need something to do in waco. they will never know if i don't take the most direct route. that's a nice thing about being a parent. hahahaha
LOL, Barb, I'll look forward to seeing you whenever you can make the trip.
i think i will see if the county extension guy will come out to my house so the grasses i have growing now can be identified. if they are natives then that'll be one less thing i have to do and they would already be established. plus i'd hate to destroy something and find out it was the last one in texas. joking but i think with all the destruction going on around us with all the developments you never know if something precious is about to die.
plus i found out from my city code guy that there isn't anything the city of fate can do about my eccentricities in the yard as i am grudgingly placed in the "under agriculture" category. so what's the most outrageous native grass we have?!! hehehe
I just saw a post with some native buffalo grass that was nice looking, I'll have to look for the post; it's in the Tx Native directory over here.
I also live within the Post Oak Savannah; here's an interesting website:
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/habitats/post_oak/
mamajack, Goldthwaite is not far from Lake Buchanan, Colorado Bend State Park (waterfalls!) and Longhorn Caverns (neat caves). We went to all the above for Spring break and my 13 and 15 year old had fun.
i have always wanted to go to colorado bend state park. i am lying out of my teeth. i never heard of this one. can you camp? swim? raft rentals?
LOL Yes, they have nice camp spots right on the river, though no electricity and I don't think they have showers, but you might double check because they have made some changes. They used to require a guide to see gorman waterfall but now the trail is open at all times. The river is clean enough to swim and they have kayak rentals.
oh, sweezel that sounds like a fun day. and i never understood why anyone needed a shower if they have a river. that's just the kinda girl i am.