Going to Seed- pea family pods, and lots of berries

Humans eat lots of Legumes which are members of the pea family. We eat green beans, green peas, lentils, black beans, red beans, black-eyed peas and pinto beans, to name a few. We love them in our gardens, in our food, and wildlife find legumes in nature and enjoy them as a good source of protein. Mesquites provides an important source of food in the southwestern United States. Gamebirds, such as quail rely on them. Fur and game mammals find them a reliable source of food - antelope jack-rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and skunks to name a few. Small mammals such as chipmunk, ground squirrel, mice, rats, eat the pods, and deer eat the foliage and twigs.

Below are some of the members of the Pea Family (sometimes referred to as Legumes, or members of "Pea" or Fabaceae Family). The ones below are plants that are native to the ranch that I saw that happened to have pods when I was out taking pictures in late October and early November.

Members of the Pea Family have pea pods to hold their seeds. The flat pods of the Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) seen here are around 3 or 4 inches long. In the late spring their pods are red and turn brown in the fall.

These pods on the Kidneywood plant (Eysenhardtia texana), are very small, less than 1/2 inch long. I don't imagine that such small pods offer much for wildlife food, but the blossoms provide excellent bee forage, and the leaves are good deer browse. It is also the host plant to the southern dogface butterfly caterpillar.

Golden-Ball Lead Tree (Leucana retusa) has bright yellow, globe-like flower clusters around an inch in diameter during April and May. Their pods are thin papery narrow brown pods 4 to 10 inches long. Leaves are bipinnately compound which gives them a lacey appearance. Deer and livestock brouse this plant heavily. Butterflies and bees love their nectar. (A picture of the flowers is below).

Flowers of the Golden-Ball Lead Tree certainly fit the name of the plant and seen to explode in the spring when they bloom. I love this plant and look forward to seeing its golden-balls against the spring green of it foliage.

The common understanding of the word "Berry" is a simple one, a small roundish juicy or fleshy fruit with a seed or seeds inside, and I think of Possumhaw, Rusty Blackhaw, Snailseed, Greenbriar, Carolina Buckthorn, and Madrone trees as having berries. However, if you look up specific terminology of say "fruits", in Plant Identification Terminology, an Illustrated Glossary, by James G. Harris and Melinda W. Harris, you find that there are multiple terms to describe fruits: take for example, a "Hip is a berrylike stucture composed of an enlarged hypanthium surrounding numerous achenes". If you're a botanical taxonomist this may make good sense to you, but I would have to look up at least 2 more words, and maybe more before I would even start to understand. The following examples are fruits that I consider berries.

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), has multiple clusters of magenta or purple berries against its light green stems and leaves in the fall, and in my opinion certainly deserves its name "Beautyberry". It grows in shady spots in moist soils, and we have them at Selah along the Nature Trail above Madrone Lake. Its flowers which appear in late spring or early summer are not showy, but are pretty, being small and white or a delicate pink.

Carolina Buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana) is a handsome small tree, which lives comfortably in sun or shade. One of the native plants here, it is found in many places. It blooms in late spring, and I would probably miss the small blooms if they were not so popular with honey bees which are sometimes so thick that the whole bush buzzes. Its fruit which is round, is at first greenish yellow, turns red and finally black when mature. You often see all the colors at once which adds to its beauty. The berries provide food for birds. Deer like to browse the plant, and it is often seen growing in a thicket where it is protected from browsers by neighboring spiny plants.

Texas Madrone (Arbutus xalapensis) seeds are Christmas red, have a granular surface and ripen in November. I have eaten them and they taste sweet. Apparently they are enjoyed by a number of bird species. This is one of my favorite trees on the ranch. (I will devote a whole post to it soon.)

Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum) is a small tree that I associate with moist soils along creeks. The leaves are shiny green, simple and opposite. In the fall they turn a rust red, and are striking. Their fruit is pinkish (they have a dusty white surface, or bloom) then red, and black when ripe. They are listed as edible by Delena Tull in her book, "A Practical guide to Edible and Useful Plants". She indicates they "can be used in jellies or meat sauces, but they are best eaten raw." You have to be watching for them because birds like them so much that they may be gone before you get them.

Let me know if you find this kind of post with pictures interesting. I enjoy doing them and hope that they are informative and increase your curiousity about the world around us, both plants and animals.

Our West Texas Vacation, Part 4 Lost Mine Tr.

When we walked part of the Lost Mine Trail in Big Bend National Park in West Texas, we managed to get an early start. There was a cool breeze and so it was quite comfortable. We tend to be slow to get going in the morning when we're on vacation. Also, as a cancer patient, I'm not the vigorous hiker I once was. However, we love the mountains, and J. David is patient with my slow speeds, so we still have a good time. Often, I sit down somewhere that is pretty and has interesting things to explore, and offer David the opportunity to hike unhindered by my slowness.

The entrance to the Lost Mine Trail is on the road that takes you in and out of the Chisos Basin, next to a parking area. The trail is clear and extremely well maintained.

Yellow-Trumpet-Flower (Tacoma stans) is a beautiful flower and a handsome bush. We saw them in many areas of the Chisos Basin, and they never fail to impress me. Two members of the same family Bignoniaceae that we have here at Selah are the Desert Willow (Chilopsis linerais) which has long skinny leaves and pink trumpet flowers, and Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) which has big compound leaves and orange or red trumpet flowers. All of these have beautiful and showy flowers.

I have always been fascinated by lichens, which produce beautiful colors and patterns on rocks. Lichens are actually two different life forms that live together in symbiosis, which describes a relationship in which the partners involved could not survive without each other. A fungus provides a moist home for a specific algae. That algae has chlorophyll and makes food from sunlight which feeds both the algae and the fungus. Together they make a self-contained life form that can live in inhospitable places such as rocks.

As we climbed up the trail along the back of Casa Grande we looked down on Panther Pass. Through the pass we could see Green Gulch which is the only way to drive into the Chisos Basin.

The native Flax we have at the ranch is yellow. Prairie Flax (Linum lewisii) is similar in shape but is a beautiful delicate blue. Scattered along the trails they provided me with endless entertainment.

The Lost Mine Trail curves around and up the back of Casa Grande, which looks a bit different from the back. It is almost always in sight and stands out like a beacon.

Because of its incredible flame red color, Trumpetilla (Bouvardia ternifolia) is noticable as well as beautiful. This is a mountain flower and is mostly found above 4000 feet elevation.

I was sitting to catch my breath and enjoy the scenery when David took this photo. Casa Grande is behind and above me.

One of my favorite views is this one looking into Juniper Canyon. The feeling of immense space, the distant mountains and their pale blue color, and the bare rock on the mountains across the canyon all are part of the reason that I love this place.

One of the ways I can tell we are in a wet season is that the Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is covered with leaves. During dry spells they lose their leaves and are bare spiny stems but stay alive even during extremely hot, dry spells. They have blossoms between May and July, which are red and very showy.

A close-up of Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) shows the vigorous green leaves that appear when there is enough rainfall.

After a day of hiking, David and I drove out along Green Gulch and sat at a drive-in spot for an informative sign. We enjoyed the view, the cool air, and some refreshment before going to the lodge for supper.

I never get tired of Madrone trees, and this lovely small tree was in the area where we had stopped to enjoy the view.

A close-up of the Madrone tree shows the smooth reddish bark on the living portion of the tree, and the black wood of the branches that have died. It is not unusual to see a healthy tree with a number of bare grey or black branches. (Check an enlarged version of the previous picture  of the whole tree for some good examples.)

We went to the Rio Grande in the evening with our friends Rhonda and Emily. We found the Hot Springs but unfortunately they were full of mud. We decided that it was a nice place to sit and visit but no one wanted to soak in "hot mud".

Along the Window View Trail is this monument and I wanted to share with you the message inscribed on it, because we are all blessed that there were people who understood the importance of preserving some of the country's most beautiful spots for the enjoyment of future generations. Thank you, Mr. Mather!

STEPHEN TYNG MATHER
July 4, 1867 - Jan 22, 1930
HE LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEFINING AND ESTABLISHINGTHE POLICIES UNDER WHICH ITS AREAS SHALL BE DEVELOPED AND CONSERVED UNIMPAIRED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THERE WILL NEVER COME AN END TO THE GOOD THAT HE HAS DONE.

Photographs by Margaret Bamberger, August of 2008.

Looking at 2007, A Year in Pictures

2007 Rain Total Was 44.59" at Bamberger Ranch

2007 was a very interesting year. We started it with low water in Madrone Lake, some dry or very low tanks or ponds, and had no water flowing in our creeks. The springs were flowing but at a low rate. We were concerned about trees and other plants, because in the fall of '06 they were showing signs of stress. When we heard that an El Nino was forming in the Pacific Ocean we were happy to hear that rain was most likely on the way. We had close to 21" total for 2006, but combined with less than average rainfall (average is 28"/year) in 2005 and 2006 we showed a real water shortage. We started getting rain in the fall, 2.53" in September, 2.74" in October, none in November and 1.94" in December, for a total of 7.21" for September to December.

The year of 2007 brought real rain starting in January, with 8.32 inches for the month. There was no rain in February, 9.23" in March, 2.55" in April, 5.94" in May, 3.56" in June, 6.85" in July, 3.13 in August, 2.56" in September, 0.86" in October, 0.91 in November, and 0.68 in December, for a total of 44.59 inches for the year.

Pictures Month by Month:

JANUARY

In mid-January we had an ice storm which was beautiful to look at, but it was hard on many trees and caused a lot of broken limbs. I feel excited like a kid when I look out and see ice and snow. I grew up in New Orleans, so I didn't see much snow growing up.

FEBRUARY
In February a friend offered to have a tree moved for us as a gift. The tree digging equipment had been in use on his place and we gratefully accepted his generous offer. We picked out two small White Shin oaks (Quercus sinuata) and had them moved to the field in front of Hes' Country Store where we have examples of most of the species of trees that grow naturally on the ranch as well as a few native trees that have been introduced on the ranch. They are doing very well in their new spot. Thank you JM.

MARCH
In early March the Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) trees bloom and provide bright pink color against the drab winter landscape. The larger tree is a Madrone (Arbutus xalapensis) that has red bark and evergreen leaves. Both of them are natives and grow here. This Madrone tree was here when the big lake was built in 1987, and Madrone Lake was named for it.

APRIL
In April our Snowbells bloom. The Sycamore-leaf Snowbell (Styrax platanifolius) is found in valleys and along creeks here, and is pictured above. I was standing underneath the tree, and the blooms are hanging down over my head. The Texas Snowbell (Styrax platanifolius var. texana) is a federally listed endangered plant. They are found in the watersheds of the Nueces and Devil's River, as well as along some creeks that feed into them. The plants look almost identical, except that the Sycamore-leaf Snowbell has a smooth green underleaf, and the Texas Snowbell has a fine white fuzz on the underside of their leaves. J David has been working to save the Texas Snowbell by growing them from seed in our greenhouse and planting them in corrals (to protect them from deer and goats) in the areas where they grow naturally. Hopefully the end result of the reintroduction project will be to de-list the plant because there will be so many healthy plants growing, that it will no longer be endangered. Check the spring issue of "Wildflower" the magazine of the Lady Bird Wildflower Center for an article titled "Saving the Snowbell" about J David and his volunteers.

MAY
In early May the book about J David and the story of the creation of The Bamberger Ranch Preserve, called "Water From Stone" was realeased by A&M Press. The author, Jeffrey Greene is married to my sister Mary and they live in France. J David is on the left of the poster of the front of the book, Jeffrey stands on the right side behind me. He came here to help promote the book and we spent most of the month on the road doing talks, slide shows, and selling and signing books.

JUNE
By June Madrone Lake was full. During the summer of 2006 the level of the water dropped to five or six feet lower than its normal level. It is a marvelous swimming lake, especially when it is full.

JULY
At the beginning of July the ranch had received more than the average amount of rainfall since the first of the year. In this picture we are looking down into Big Valley which was very green at that time. The creeks were running, and wildflowers were plentiful.

JULY
Also during July Cory, our dog who climbs trees trying to catch squirrels (so far he hasn't), or some other critter that he is sure is in the tree, at times gets himself into tight spots. On this day he couldn't turn around and J David is trying to figure out how to get him down. Cory is a wonderful dog, but a bit silly at times.

JULY
At the end of July we had a gathering at the house. While we were cleaning up the patio look who hiding under a decorative wooden pot holder - a Diamond-backed Rattlesnake! Fortunately for us it seemed to be a calm snake, and didn't strike. Steven, the ranch biologist came up and moved it (very carefully) into a garbage can. J David took it to another part of the ranch where there were no houses, and released it.

AUGUST
Early in August we were driving around and saw these storm clouds over Carter Tank. I demanded that we stop the truck so I could get a picture. One of the great things about wet years is dramatic clouds.

SEPTEMBER
In September the water is still warm enough for swimming in Madrone Lake. Our friends had a wonderful time jumping off of the swimming deck.

OCTOBER
Early in October grasses are starting to bloom and put on their seeds. With such a wet growing season, grasses were unusually tall. The seed heads of the Yellow Indian-grass (Sorghastrum nutans) that J David is standing next to are more than six feet tall.

NOVEMBER

In November some of our trees turn pretty colors. Big Tooth Maples (Acer grandidentatum) can turn yellow, gold, orange or red. This maple at Madrone Lake seems to have gold and orange.

DECEMBER
Sallie Delahoussaye a wildlife rehabilitator, sometimes releases hawks and owls at Selah. She came out late in December on a cold day to release this Eastern Screech Owl, who was anxious to be free again. Sallie works hard to keep injured birds of prey in a safe clean environment while they heal. She sees that they receive good medical care and proper food for good nutrition. Before she releases them she needs to know that they can fly and hunt on their own.

DECEMBER
Each Christmas season I set up my little village on the mantle over the fireplace. I also celebrate the season by having friends over to a pot luck dinner. If the weather isn't too horrible, we take a hike in the afternoon. I often have the gathering on the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year.