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.

Blooming bushes

Bushes provide the current "best flower show" at Selah this month.

The combination of tall grasses which are still standing and now are mostly tan, and small amounts of rain, have reduced the show of wildflowers this spring. However blooming bushes this spring have been looking good. So here is a selection of bushes and small trees that are blooming now.

J David said that my pictures don't show what the plant looks like, so the top pictures in each case shows leaves and more of the plant.

Agarita

Agarita (Berberis trifoliata) is a common bush on the Preserve. It has compound leaves with 3 stiff leaflets (with 5 points on each leaflet). Their sharp points make it difficult to pick the beautiful red berries that ripen in June and make a delicious jelly.

Rusty Blackhaw

Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rifidulum) is a pretty small tree with shiny opposite leaves that turn a beautiful rusty red in the fall. The berries start as a pinkish color and turn dark blue as they ripen. Birds love to eat them.

Crabapple

This crabapple (Pyrus sp.) tree is by a creek and blooms early each year. Because it blooms before or with its leaves, it looks snowy white when it first starts to bloom. Even though it had been blooming for weeks when I took this picture, I was still able to find some fresh blossoms.

Texas Lantana

Texas Lantana (Lantan urticoides) has red, yellow and orange blossoms. This pink and lavender variety came from a nursery and is in our yard. The leaves have a distinct odor and the berries are small, dark blue and ripen in late summer or early fall.

Texas Redbud

Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) is a drought tolerant native bush or small tree. It blooms early (March and April) and adds a bright splash of color to the landscape in early spring while winter colors dominate. Its leaves sprout while it is blooming, which are shiny green and heart shaped. This tree which is in the Bean Family has clusters of flat, deep red bean pods that ripen in the fall.

Texas Mountain Laurel
Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) is an evergreen shrub or small tree frequently found on limestone hillsides. It has dark green shiny compound leaves with leaflets on either side of the main stem (like a feather), and one at the tip. In spring the purple blooms smell like grape Kool Aid. They bloom in some places as early as February. They are in the Bean Family and their pods are silver grey, and are 3 to 5 inches long. They contain bright orange/red seeds that are very hard and ripen in September. Children call the seeds "burn beans" because you can rub them on cement and they get hot enough to feel like you're being burned if they are pressed against sensitive skin. Leaves and seeds are poisonous to cattle, goats, sheep and humans. Because the seeds are very hard they often pass through the digestive tract intact and cause no harm. The Mountain Laurel I learned in North Carolina is a different plant than the Texas Mountain Laurel, and has different flowers leaves and seeds.

There are probably more bushes blooming right now, but the ones in this post are the ones that caught my eye. They are definitely the showy ones around my house and around Madrone Lake.

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.