This week in my garden -June 30

 It is starting to get to that hot and dry period, where the only good thing in the garden seems to be that some of my plants have not yet wilted.

But I took another walk in my back area, and found this swarm of bugs on my pearl milkweed vine. I used Seek to identify them, and it says Large Milkweed bug.  Well, huh. I guess that makes sense, lol.

A quick google search shows that they are not typically harmful to plants as they typically feed only on the seeds. Yep, looking at the photo above, I’ll agree with that!

From https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/large-milkweed-bug 

Description

The large milkweed bug, with its bold black-and-orange pattern, is one of the most beautiful of the true bugs. It is one of several species in its genus, with all having similar coloration but different patterns. In this species, each forewing has, from front to back, an orange, front-pointing triangle, a wide black band, and an orange backward-pointing triangle; then, the outer, membranous portion of the forewing is black. Also note that the pronotum (the shield-like plate, like shoulders, between the head and wings) has a black, forward-pointing triangle bordered on either side by orange.

A Although in laboratories, large milkweed bugs have been able to survive on the seeds of some other types of plants, including sunflower and watermelon, these are not the preferred foods in the wild, and these insects are not a problem for human crops.

If you are growing milkweeds on purpose, you will probably find large milkweed bugs more of a nuisance (if even that) than a pest. Unless you have an exceptionally large number of these bugs, they generally do not damage milkweed plants very much. Since many people are growing milkweeds to serve as native insect food plants — for monarchs, milkweed tussock moths, and so on — keep in mind that these colorful native bugs are helped by your efforts, too.

This week in the garden - June 20

This week, as summer starts feeling very real, there are still a few surprises in the garden.

Giant Swallowtail Caterpillars

Most exciting, the Wafer Ash that I planted in the fall is already hosting some Giant Swallowtail caterpillars!!  I noticed two of them about a week ago, and there are at least four now.  While I know the birds need food right now, I'm really hoping these little ones make it to butterfly stage.

A new Zizotes!

Also, this year I let one part of the front lawn go un-mowed. I was very excited to find an antelope horn milkweed randomly pop up in the mix of grass, weeds and wildflowers a few weeks ago.

This week, I saw a plant I didn't recognize, and Seek informed me that it was a Zizotes Milkweed. Whether this popped up on its own, or was from a seed blown from my other Zizotes, I don't know. But since I have never witnessed my other Zizotes blooming until this year, I am guessing this was a random gift!

This Week in My Garden - The Back Woods June 13th

Twenty years ago, when we built our house, we did as many new homeowners did, we tore up all the "weeds" growing in the area, and planted a nice plot of St Augustine grass.  Now, I am slowly pulling up the grass, and purchasing native plants that were probably already there before we built. Sigh.

Fortunately, for about half the property (around 1 acre), we left it undisturbed.

This week, I decided to open the Seek app and explore that back part of our yard - the unmaintained part. And I was very surprised by some of the native plants I found! I got pretty chewed up by mosquitos and chiggers, but it was worth it :)

It also makes me now know that yep, many of the plants that I have bought over the years, have been growing in my backyard, and were probably in the front, before I pulled them out to make a green sod yard. Double sigh.

It really reinforces the importance of wide spread education about native plants, and their benefits over grass. Had I known then what I know now, I would have skipped the grass, kept the natives, and saved myself a lot of dollars, and had a more wildlife friendly landscape.

Zone 1

These plants are all found right outside the backyard fence, where the trampoline used to be. Along with these natives is a now-identified-as-non-native honeysuckle. :( iNat had identified it as a native, but I cut open a branch, and the pith was hollow, so I believe it is non-native.  Bummer, because it is really pretty.  Since it is a non-native, I need to remove it, as it is starting to choke the Persimmon...

Texas Persimmon
I bought a Texas Persimmon for my back yard a few years ago. And now I realize I had one already growing, just on the other side of my back fence.  This one is much larger and even has fruit! I am going to keep my eye on it over the next couple of weeks, to see if that fruit matures! A feast for me (or the birds).

Hill Country Brickelbush (?)
Brickellia cylindracea

Quite near the Texas Persimmon is another Seek find that I have never heard of. There are two of these plants. I am not quite convinced this is the right name for the plant. I will have to come back throughout the year to see if it seeds or flowers.

Blackfoot Daisy

Another plant I have bought multiple times, and it always seems to die on me. Maybe I love it to death? There is a spot, right outside the backyard fence, which always has a nice stand of this growing wild. I think I have even tried to dig it up and transplant it, with no luck. So, I'll just watch this wild patch with pride, lol.

Zone 2

Walking on the trail toward the back of the property, there are many Lindheimer Silktassel, Pearl Milkvine, and of course Shrubby Boneset and Plateau Goldeneye.

Sweet Indian Mallow
Abutilon fruticosum

I was pulling weeds along the path around the old chicken coop, and started to pull this up, when I noticed that it wasn't Shrubby Boneset.  Seek identified is a Sweet Indian Mallow. Very cool!  

Performs well in dry areas in both sun and part shade. Readily propagated from seed. Tough fibers from the stems have been used as cordage for making ropes or in weaving. Readily eaten by deer and some livestock. Young foliage is a larval plant food for several species of skipper butterflies.    The seeds are eaten by bobwhite quail and mourning doves.

Lindheimer's Silktassel

Garrya ovata ssp. lindheimeri

I found numerous examples of this plant in the back.  They were all over the place.

Reading online, this plant is great for pollinators. It says it blooms Mar - May, so I will have to pay closer attention next year. I also read this it has Bluish-purple fruit, so i will go back out to see if I see the fruit.

I'd really like to dig one of the smaller plants up in the fall, to see if I can transplant it to my front gardens.

Pearl Vine Milkweed

I have several large stands of Pearl Milkweed in the back grounds, some of them quite large. I have purchased this plant for my front gardens... and it didn't make it. And here it is growing free and wild in my back grounds.

Zone 3

There is a small plot of plants, right whether the trail use to split (before the ice storm) that has a treasure trove of small native plants. On the left portion, there is a Fragrant Sumac and a small plant called Sweet Everlasting, a little further to the right of this plant is the first Plateua Silverbush on the path (there is one across the path and there are more further on), then up against the tree is something maybe called Smallflower Ground Cherry. Also in the area was a Fragrant Sumac. We have a lot of Flameleaf Sumac, but this is the first Fragrant Sumac I am familiar with. Then there is also some Virginia Creeper, which (it turns out) is native to Texas, despite the name.

Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica

Native Plant Society has a nice write up about this plant, calling it an unsung hero. 

The colorful berries provide a critical winter food source for numerous bird species, including Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Cedar Waxwings. Their dense growth habit offers an ideal habitat for small birds to nest and seek shelter. Small mammals like rabbits and squirrels also enjoy the fruit.

As mentioned earlier, the blooms attract pollinators, and are the larval hosts for the Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly.

This is one I definitely would like to propagate from a cutting. It says I should do that is the summer, so I will give this a go!

Sweet Everlasting ???
Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium

This was id'ed as Sweet Everlasting. iNat and Seek both seemed pretty sure. But I am not so sure. The  flower doesn't look right. It looks like it either just bloomed, or is just starting to, so I'll go out over the next few days to see if I can get a better look at the flower.

Plateau Silverbush also called Tall Wild-Mercury

Argythamnia simulans

This was a total Seek find. I just saw a plant I didn't recognize and one I have not even heard of.  Reading online, I found an article on backyardnature.net was a little bit of into on this plant. It uses terms like "non-descript", but it does talk about the peas sized fruit, which I guess identifies it in the Spurge family (again, no idea what that is, but it doesn't sound very pretty!). The wildflower center page has little to no info on it.

The "Plateau" in the first name alludes to the fact that in the whole world the plant occurs only in Texas, mostly in the south-central part of the state known as the Edwards Plateau. 

I took a lousy photo of the flowers, but finally at least got the little fruits into focus. They do seem to confirm the plant.

Now I want to mark it, and observe it, to see what I can learn about it. Maybe take a cutting to try and grow it in my yard?

SmallFlower Ground Cherry (??)

iNat says it is a SmallFlower Groundcherry, Google says a clammy Groundcherry. Again, I am not convinced.  I will keep visiting to see if it ever flowers. Google says Groundcherrys begin blooming around June, so maybe we will know more in a month!

Zone 4

Toward the back of the property, there are a lot more invasives. Lots of Ligustrum trees and Nandina. I will need to get back here and remove these. There is also a lot of poison ivy, which, while not non-native, is not-appreciated. 

But along with these noxious plants are many Lindheimer Silktassel, Eastern Redbuds and these gorgeous Mountain Pink flowers.

Texas Ash

This guy was also right along the path. Seek identified it as a Texas Ash. It is obviously very young. 

Mountain Pink
Centaurium beyrichii

This is probably a non-descript little plant most of the year, and I just happened to be walking back here while it was in bloom. But dang, is it cute! Wish I had some of these in my flower garden. I will have to find some seeds!

Mountain Pink is a low-growing annual, typically reaching less than a foot in height, with numerous branches and pink flowers that form a rounded mass. The flowers are about 12-18 mm wide. It blooms from May to July, adding a splash of color to the landscape during the late spring and early summer months. It is commonly found on hillsides, slopes, and in prairies or meadows, especially where the soil is sandy, gravelly, or limestone-based. Mountain Pink prefers well-drained soil and can tolerate dry conditions. It does not thrive in soils with high organic matter. It also does well in rock gardens. Mountain Pink attracts various pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and moths. 

This Week in my Garden - April 13th

This is probably the prettiest week of the whole year in the garden. I had a small spiderwort at the front of the house that never did well. Then last year, I found one growing in the porch garden bed. This year, they have filled, and spread to other beds.

My roses are in full bloom, climbing the back fence and draping over the pond. The bluebonnets are in force, but balanced by the Jerusalem sage, and Calylophus.

Everything is budding out, and the grass is green.

This year, instead of mowing the side yard, I just mowed small paths through the wildflowers, and left the rest to bloom and grow.

Today, when I was walking around and looking at everything, lo and behold, I found an Antelope horn milkweed growing in the middle of the yard! I little exclaimed out loud in excitement.  I have probably spent hundreds of dollars trying to grow milkweed in my gardens. And the only one that still lives is the Zizotes milkweed growing in the bed closest to the driveway.

So to see this gorgeous plant growing randomly in the middle of the yard was sooo exciting!

New plants - Sandpaper Tree, Longleaf Buckwheat and Sneeveweed

 I went to a new nursery in Pflugerville that specializes in native plants. It had a really nice collection, and a few plants i have never heard of. I asked the owner for suggestions for Edward's plateau.

Sneezeweed

First he suggested Sneezeweed. It was only after I arrived home that I learned that this plant likes moist clay soil. I planted these three plants in the front flower bed, but I am not expecting them to make it through the summer.

Longleaf Buckeye

Eriogonum longifolium var. longifolium

He also recommended Longleaf Buckwheat, which is native to the Edward's plateau.  I planted it behind the Spanish Dagger. It doesn't look like it will be an overly pretty plant, so I thought it might just add it as a backstory plant. It does say it is very draught tolerant, once established. It says it dislikes root distubrance, so we will see how it adjusts to being platned

Sandpaper Tree
Ehretia anacua

The owner mentioned that this is a great plant with edible fruit, so I thought Kyle would be excited by it. He mentioned that it is more of a southern plant, but there are some in Austin that do well. After getting home, i read that they may freeze back to the ground in Dallas, but unsure how it will do in Austin. 

I planted it in the back year. We will see how it does.

This Week in My Garden - Oct 20th

 Banded Scythris moth on Frostweed

In my attempt to find cool stuff going on in my garden each week, I have gotten into the habit of looking closer at the plants. And the closer I look, the more I find!

Yesterday, I was taking a photo of my now-blooming Frostweed. And I noticed that it was covered in small bugs. I took a photo of them, ran it through Google, and they appear to be the Banded Scytris moth.

Look how many there are! I count 10 in just this photo. One of my great joys in gardening with Native plants is reveling in the life that they bring. I know that, in time, bringing more bugs into the yard will ultimately bring more birds.

A new soaker hose

I have been intending to add a soaker hose to the right-hand street garden. With this incredible drought we are in, the plants in that garden are looking incredibly sad. The poor little Dutchman's pipevine is being hand watered with waterbottles, whenever I remember. And the frost (house-side) of the garden is basically just Brazilian Rock Rose and weeds. But finding that my zizotes milkweed still lived and the Phlox I planted was still hanging on really motivated me to get it watered.

So I added the hose. But to put those in there, I really needed to pull out the grass. Partly to let the hose lie flat, and partly so the grass wouldn't grow even more with access to water.  And then with the hose there, I realized I could plant some of my new plants there!

Blue Aster?
Symphyotrichum laeve

This weed popped up in my garden. It looks pretty weedy, and is too tall for a plant growing that close to the edge. But I am not one to pull something that is native and is strong enough to make it in my garden :) 

So, not knowing what it was, I decided to let it stay. Around town, I started to see Aster-like flowers or similar weeds. And sure enough, my weed bloomed today, and it was full of small aster-like flowers.  The bumble bees really seem to love it.

At first I thought it was Drummond's Aster. But the flower's didn't look the right color. I then found a native called Tall or Willow Aster, but I think the petals on that are much thinner. So then I found something called Blue Aster, that I think might be it.

Here was some info I found on it: Asters have been known as keystone plants of many habitats in our region, and while this group of wildflowers has changed and diverged over time, flowers of the Symphyotrichum genus are some of the best for wildlife. They can occupy a variety of spaces in any landscape, Symphyotrichum laeve offers the benefit of adaptability for moist to dry soils, and part-shade conditions. Symphyotrichum species often bloom later in the season, peaking in September and October at a time when pollinators may have trouble finding other sources of food.

https://www.bugloversnativeplants.com/shop/p/symphyotrichum-laeve-smooth-blue-aster#:~:text=Symphyotrichum%20laeve%20is%20a%20hardy,long%2Dlasting%20blooms%20throughout%20autumn.

What have I done? Native Plant Sale

I got to the Native Plant sale early (about a half hour before they opened). I had a list of items I wanted, and managed to get all but one of the plants on the list (the other had already sold out)

I then added a few interesting plant.

And bought one plant by mistake (I thought I grabbed a Black Dalea, but it was actually Compact Prairie Clover that was under the sign)

And one plant didn't have a label. I thought I would remember what kind of sedge it was. But I have already forgotten.

Escarpment Black Cherry
Prunus serotina var eximia

Okay, sun to part-shade. It could grow up to 50 feet (could grow 2 - 4 feet annually, so it won't be big any time soon) I put this in the front yard where it can get a lot of sun, near to the Mexican buckeye. I  retrospect, maybe too near?

Escarpment Black Cherry is a distinct and isolated geographic variety of Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) found only in the calcareous soils of central Texas. It is distinguished physiologically from other P. serotina varieties by almost or entirely hairless leaves with more coarsely toothed margins, longer petioles, and, at up to 50 ft tall, a height intermediate between the larger Eastern Black Cherry (P. serotina var. serotina) and the smaller Southwestern varieties, virens and rufula.

WARNING: though the cherries are edible, the rest of the plant is poisonous if eaten, including the seeds. Provides a beautiful yellow fall color. Propagation: seed.

Water Use: Low , Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Rich, moist but well-drained, calcareous soils.
Conditions Comments: Escarpment black cherry is known for the beauty and quality of its wood. The green leaves turn to yellow in the fall. It is easy to grow and will reward you with dangling, lace-like blossoms in the spring. Wildlife eat the fruits. Prefers moister sites and more of a mineral, well drained soil.

Wafer Ash
Ptelea trifoliata

A small understory tree heavily used by pollinators as a nectar source. Small white flowers in the spring.

5 - 8 feet height. Tolerant of different soils and sunlight conditions

I out this is the front yard near the street (between the crepe Myrtle and Desert Willow)

Water Use: Low , Medium , High
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist , Wet
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Moist to dry, well-drained loams. Sandy, Medium Loam Sandy Loam, Clay Loam Clay, Limestone-based, Acid-based, Calcareous.
Conditions Comments: It is an attractive, tall shrub or small understory tree, for both moist conditions and dry rocky sites. If grown in full sun and cut back, wafer ash will be quite bushy. Sweet nectar of this plant attracts many species of butterflies. All parts are aromatic. Prefers moist soil such as a watered garden or seep area.

Eve's Necklace
Styphnolobium affine

5-8 ft spineless shrub tree. Part Shade. Well drained. Grows from seed to 6 feet in 3 years. With low water and dry soil, plus a somewhat large tree, I put this in the front year, where it will be shaded by the live oak, as a back plant to the street garden.

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Well-drained soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Limestone-based.
Conditions Comments: Eve's necklace is so named because this tree blooms clustered pink flowers that mature into black, bead-like strings of seeds. The planting site must be well-drained or it will get chlorotic. It grows from seed to 6 ft. in 3 years. This plant is most attractive

Wooly Ironweed
Vernonia lindheimeri

Native perennial blooming pink to purple from early summer to early fall. Found mostly in Edward's Plateau. 10 - 30 inches in height. Sun to light shade, low water use, needs well drained soil. Spreads by rhizomes to make small stands.

This is small and needs little water. It grows in clay, so it would be good for my street garden. I put this in the front of the street garden near the Fall Aster.

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Dry caliche. Clay, Clay Loam, Medium Loam, Sandy Loam.
Conditions Comments: Woolly ironweed has an upright form and the colorful, showy blooms are distinctive. Needs well-drained conditions. The leaf undersides feel and readily appear hairy, hence the name "woolly ironweed". Great, underused perennial for the garden and meadow.

Western Ironweed
Vernonia baldwinii

Full sun, low water, deer resistant, attracts birds and butterflies. I picked this up unplanned. But how can you resist a plant with this description. 3 - 5 feet. This plant aggressively colonizes. I love to read this, as I think maybe I won't kill this plant. This is where I sometimes get frustrated though. The NPSOT said it needs low water. Wildflower Center says it needs moist soil. Which is it? I don't typically buy things that need moist soil. It does say it likes basically any soil, so I put it in the street garden on the right hand side near the variegated yucca, and in front of the bamboo Muhly.

Compact Prairie Clover
Dalea compacta

This is the plant I bought because it was under the Black Dalea sign. Whoops. 

There is almost no information on the Wildflower site about this plant, not even whether it likes sun or shade. NPSOT has more information. It is does not seem to be an Edwards Plateau plant, but the map does show it grows as far west as Dripping. But it says "There is currently no information about using this plant in home landscape" It does say it needs sun and low water requirements. I am put this in the right hand street garden near the Brazilian rock roses. We'll see how it does

Barbara's Buttons
Marshallia caespitosa

Upright perennial, 8 - 20 inches, so very small. Low maintenance required. Drought tolerant. Good border edge or filler, perennial garden, rocky hillside, and rock gardens. Propagation: division, transplant. This was only a $4 plant. I am betting it doesn't make it a year, because it is so very small. I put this is the right hand street garden neat the Phlox and zizotes milkweed.

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy or calcareous soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Limestone-based, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
Conditions Comments: Barbara's-buttons is an upright perennial with solitary or several, unbranched stems. Dainty balls of white, fragrant flowers are borne on slender, leafless stalks arising from a rosette of narrow leaves.

Yellow Passionflower

Passiflora Lutea

Part Shade. Soil: Moist.  Whoops. Didn't see the moist soil bit when I picked this plant up. I really need to not pick up random plants that catch my eye! But wait, the NPSOT website says Water Requirement: Low. I just don't understand how a plant can have water use low, and soil moisture Wet? Well, I don't have any moist soil, so it will get dry soil whether it likes it or not.

I bought this, but then realized I don't have a lot of part-shade fence area available. But then i read it can sprawl on the ground. Sprawl it will be! 

I planted one near the bench in the right back corner garden and one in the street right hand garden.

And one in the right-hand street garden

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Various well-drained soils.
Conditions Comments: This climbing or trailing vine has greenish-yellow flowers, that give way to purple or black berries. Wide, shallowly lobed leaves with entire margins turn an attractive yellow in fall. This is a major food plant for several species of butterfly larvae.

Big Muhly
Muhlenbergia capillaris

3 - 6 feet, so fairly tall with a 1 - 2 foot spread. Can live in Sun or Part Shade

Seep Muhly

1-2 feet, so much shorter. Any soil type, 2 to 3 ft spread. Full sun. Medium water