This Week in My Garden - June 28

Another cool critter

While wandering through the garden today, Kyle and I noticed that my Blue Weeping Yucca looked a little worse for wear. There was a pile of brown debris around the top stem, and several leaves had clearly been enjoying life as someone's lunch.

After a bit of careful digging around the stem, we found the culprit—a Yucca Giant Skipper caterpillar tucked deep inside the plant. (Seek for the ID)

According to Google, the Yucca Giant Skipper is a fairly uncommon, large-bodied butterfly found throughout the southern United States, including central Texas. Its caterpillars burrow into the base of yucca plants, where they build a little upright silken "chimney" that serves as both a hiding place and an escape hatch from predators.

It has definitely done a number on this yucca, but thankfully they're tough plants, and I'm confident it'll bounce back. In the photo below, you can even see the little silk chimney sticking up from the stem.

I'll be keeping an eye on the garden over the next few weeks, hoping to catch a glimpse of the butterfly when it finally emerges.

Fig Season Has Arrived

For the first time since we planted them, both of our fig trees are absolutely loaded with fruit.

The Celeste has given us a handful of figs over the years, but the Alma has stubbornly refused to produce... until now. Maybe all the spring rain made the difference. Or maybe it's because our two very enthusiastic Whippets have decimated the local squirrel population. 

All of the branches are heavy with figs, and I'm looking forward to harvesting far more than we've ever had before.

I couldn't remember which varieties we had planted, so I searched back through this blog to find the original post. That turned out to be even more fun than I expected because I stumbled across photos from when I first planted them. It's amazing how much the garden has changed.

Celeste fig when planted in 2014

My garden in 2026

A rare find

I was looking through one of my gardens, and discovered a plant I didn't recognize. Seek has identified it as a Small leaf Ground Cherry. I found one of these in the back acre last year, but it died over the summer. Here is hoping this one lives

Wolly Ironweed in bloom

Another highlight this week is my Woolly Ironweed, which I planted last fall. I had been wanting this plant for awhile as it is fantastic for native bees and butterflies. But it is hard to find. I bought one two years ago at the native plant sale and put it in my street side garden, where it has grown very little. Last fall, I ran across another plant for sale, and planted it in my solar garden. It has finally started blooming, and the deep purple flowers are spectacular.

The one I planted near the street two years ago hasn't bloomed yet, which I suspect is because the soil there is much poorer. This one, tucked into more native soil, seems perfectly happy and is putting on quite a show.

This Week in my Garden - June 20

This week, I spent 4 hours scooping mulch from our neighbor's yard and transporting it into my front garden. While in the midst of this, Dave came out to say, "You've got to take a look at this.". 

In the backyard, up in our Chinkapin Oak was a *huge* moth. The guys identified it as a Polyphemus Moth which has a bizarre life cycle: “Adults do not eat and live for less than a week, while their large green caterpillars feed on trees like oak, maple, and willow before spinning a silk cocoon.”

I never saw the larger caterpillar this came from, but how exciting to see it in the garden now. It is around 6 inches across.

This Week in My Garden - June 13

Giant Swallowtail on a Wafer Ash

Native Plants: Feeding the Next Generation of Butterflies

One of the greatest rewards of planting native plants—and a few well-adapted companions—is discovering the wildlife they support. Every season brings new visitors, and lately my garden has become a bustling nursery for caterpillars.

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars on Passionfruit Vine

Earlier this week, I noticed that my Passionfruit vine was looking a little worse for wear. The leaves were ragged and disappearing quickly. Today I found the culprits: two Gulf Fritillary caterpillars happily munching away.

Rather than being disappointed by the damage, I was thrilled. Gulf Fritillary caterpillars feed exclusively on Passionflower and Passionfruit vines, so their presence means my garden is providing exactly what they need. Seeing them discover my vine felt like a small victory.

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Common Buckeyes Find the Snake Herb

Not long ago, I spotted three caterpillars feasting on my Snake Herb. Using the Seek app, I identified them as Common Buckeye caterpillars.

A little research confirmed why they had chosen this plant. Snake Herb is an important larval host for the Common Buckeye butterfly, as well as the Cyna Blue butterfly. It's always exciting to learn that a plant is serving a purpose beyond simply looking beautiful in the landscape.

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A Hungry Pipevine Swallowtail

I've been keeping a close eye on my Dutchman's Pipevine, hoping to find Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars. For weeks, I saw nothing. Then one day I discovered a single, very large caterpillar—and very little pipevine left.

The hungry caterpillar had nearly stripped three of my streetside plants. To give it a better chance, I carefully moved it to the Dutchman's Pipevine growing in my backyard, where it continued its feast.

A few days later, it disappeared.

I'm hopeful that it successfully pupated and that I'll soon spot a Pipevine Swallowtail fluttering through the garden. Of course, nature has many outcomes, and it's possible the caterpillar became a meal for a bird. Either way, the ecosystem benefited.

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Lunch on my new Wafer Ash

And today, I was very excited to see what I first thought was a piece of leaf litter, or maybe even bird droppings, but as I looked closer (and had Dave take a photo) I realized it was some sort of Swallowtail. 

I purchased this tree specifically because it was the larval food for the Giant Swallowtail. 

So, very excited when Google images id'ed it as a Giant Swallowtail. Google tells me that the caterpillar used mimicry to look like bird droppings. (It worked!)

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The Garden Comes Full Circle

One of the most satisfying parts of gardening is watching plants become part of a larger story. The leaves that disappear today become the butterflies that drift through the garden tomorrow.

Seeing caterpillars thrive on the plants I've chosen reminds me that a garden is much more than a collection of flowers—it is a habitat.

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A Bonus Visitor: Bordered Patch Butterfly

Near the Common Buckeyes, I also spotted a beautiful Bordered Patch butterfly.

These butterflies are especially fond of Zexmenia, which grows abundantly throughout my yard. It's another reminder that when we plant for wildlife, the wildlife often finds us.

Every caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly is proof that even a small garden can make a difference.

This Week in My Garden - October 30

The Day the Monarchs Stopped by

Today, the Monarchs came through my yard. At one point, I counted sixty—scattered between the front and back gardens. They weren’t fluttering so much as clinging, their wings folded close as they fed. The Shrubby Boneset and Plateau Goldeneye were heavy with them, and even the self-sown Drummond’s Aster in the back corner shimmered with orange.

They seemed hungry—driven. When I stepped closer, they lifted briefly into the air, then settled again, clinging to the blossoms like living ornaments.

By the next morning, a cold front had swept in, and the garden felt strangely still. I haven’t seen many butterflies since.

Still, watching them pass through was a beautiful reminder of the quiet power of planting native species — how even a single yard can become a small haven on their long journey.

This Week in My Garden - Sept 8

Ahhh — the first tender breath of autumn has arrived. 

Yesterday’s rain summoned a few mushrooms from the earth. And above me, a soft, swirling column of wings— a gentle spiral of at least 200 Mississippi Kites, slowly drifting southward in quiet grace.

A few of my fall favorites are beginning to reveal their seasonal colors. The golden blooms of Esperanza and Lindheimer Senna brighten the landscape, while the Beautyberry offers its striking contrast—lime green foliage adorned with vivid clusters of purple. Nearby, the soft lavender spikes of Obedient Plant and the deep, velvety purple of Mexican Bush Sage begin to glow in the gentler light.

It’s that quiet turning point in the garden—the time when purples and yellows take center stage, weaving together summer’s warmth and autumn’s hush in one last burst of color.

This week in my Garden - August 17

Ripe Persimmons (sort of)

I have been watching my newly discovered Persimmon tree on a daily basis. And yesterday saw a black fruit that was sort of squishy. I thought I'd try my luck and wait just one more day! I came back today, and it had disappeared. Not surprising, as their is not much fruit available to our wildlife this time of year. But, I did learn online that Texas Persimmons will ripen off the tree. So I picked three mostly black but still hard persimmons, and put them on my inside windowsill. Since I am the only one in the household who has ever eaten a persimmon, I want the first time to be a sweet experience. So hopefully in a few days, they can give them a try, and will like them!

More Sweet Everlasting?

I have seen a few of these growing in the back lot, but wasn't sure what they were. Seek didn't provide any answers, but google thinks they might be Sweet Everlasting. Given the large number of Sweet Everlasting plants in the back, i am guessing that is correct. This Wikipedia article indicates the plant is a biennial, so next year it will shoot up. Seem believable, as compared to the biennial Standing Cypress I have grown. I will keep a watch over time to see if it shoots up.

I can't find much else about this plant online. But did find this site that says " The plant also gives off a wonderful maple syrup smell, making it a nice addition to any garden." Not something i noticed, even when taking cuttings from it (all of which failed)

This week in my garden - August 11

Smallflower Groundcherry
I have been watching my newly discovered Smallflower Groundcherry every time I go walk in the back wood. After coming back from vacation for two weeks, I was excited to see a small bloom on it.

And just a few days later, the bloom seems to be turning into, maybe, a small fruit?

I'll keep an eye on it over the next few weeks to see what develops!

The flower hangs upside down on the plant

And here is a nice article about groundcherries: https://www.backyardnature.net/n/h/physalis.htm

Gulf Coast Toads

We have been hearing a lot of frog song from my tiny pond recently. When I checked in on them this morning, I found two toads (Gulf Coast Toads, according to iNat). But, upon closer inspection, realized that there were actually three toads. 

The larger toad had a smaller toad on its back. A quick google search informed me that the smaller toad is the male, waiting for the larger female toad to release her eggs, so he can fertilize them externally. So, I am guessing that I might soon have some more tad poles in the pond :)

Flame Leaf Sumac

Our flame leaf sumac is in bloom. Hopefully that is a sign that summer is coming to an end, and fall will soon be here. 

Rain

An unexpected rain shower in August in Texas is a glorious thing!!

We had an unexpected thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. We had some thunder, and even lost power for a bit. This was a very localized cell. I always feel like we are under a rain dome, with the storms hitting all around us. But yesterday, we were the beneficiary. I don't think we got the 1.77 inches that someone in Oak Hill reported, but I believe we got half an inch!  Everything looks very happy right now. 

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!