The Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana) is a good example of a small tree or shrub that prefers sun but exists where there is cover for protection. The trees are very tall and "leggy" when found under the oaks as they search for sunlight. According to Taylor,[1] it is a very valuable source of food for wildlife. Deer browse the leaves and eat the fruit that is also eaten by songbirds, quail, turkeys and smaller mammals. Birds use the trees to nest and roost while the canopy provides shade and cover for mammals. The flowers attract pollinators, such as bees. Butterfly larvae feed on the plant and the adults use it as a source of nectar.
Another tree you will find in the understory here is the Mexican plum. Prunus mexicana is a member of the Rose family along with cherry and peach trees. Horizontal lines on the trunk are an identifier of this tree.
You might take a look in your woods or protected areas right now as the flowers are evident and do attract bees and butterflies. Wildlife enjoy the fruit and so do we when we make tart and colorful jams and jellies.[2]
Elbow bush (Foresteria angustifolia) is another woody plant you can find in the understory. We have nicknamed it the ‘tripper upper’ as the 90 degree angled branches interlock with each other making it difficult to walk through a thicket of these plants. Elbow bush provides deer and cattle browse and fruit for many mammals as well as quail, white-winged doves and songbirds. Bees like the flower nectar.
Agarita (Mahonia trifoliate)is a 3’-8’ shrub with stiff, holly-like leaves, yellow flowers and red berries. Its young leaves are eaten by deer and it provides berries for birds and mammals as well as nectar for bees and butterflies. Humans imbued with patience and determination use the berries to make delicious jellies and wines. In addition, the nest builders find a safe haven behind its prickly leaves and small birds, animals and plants hide in the safe shade below it. See Siemmsen authored newsletter.
Lotebush, (Ziziphus obtusifolia) is a wickedly-spined, stiff shrub and another provider of cover and protection for birds and animals while they dine on its small, black berries.
Frostweed that you see clustered under the live oaks and that spectacularly burst during our freezes this past winter was not one of our favorites until I read that it is a nectar source that attracts bees and butterflies, a redeeming quality.
The mountain laurel is a bit of a mystery to us. We know it will grow nearly everywhere it’s planted, but we have seen no naturally occurring specimens in the surrounding areas. We have grown it in the gulf coast gumbo soil, it is abundant in Bandera County, and we have two good examples of this plant at the entrance to Bridlewood, but we have seen no native ones. Know of any in the wild?
Plants that we’ve introduced that have done well in our shade and part shade are the salvias. Cedar sage (Salvia roemariana) with its pretty geranium-like leaves and red flowers lights up shady spots and reseeds easily.
Just save the seed heads and scatter. Tropical sage (Salvia coccinea) grows in part shade and reseeds itself as well. It is more aggressive, but if you love volunteers it will make you very happy.
Mealy blue sage (Salvia farinacea) is native in BWR and we have added more.
Heart-Leaf skullcap (Scutellaria ovate var. bracteata) has a deep purple flower and the plants are naturalizing beautifully in the shade of the oaks.
These salvias and the skullcap are all square-stemmed and belong to the mint family.
That ends our short overview of unusual flora to be found in the understory. Now is a good time to look for these plants because many are in bloom and are more easily detected. You will have to walk to find them, as they are hard to identify from the seat of a bulldozer.
Worth mentioning just because it is an interesting little volunteer in the disturbed soil of a garden bed. Henbit (Lamium amolexicaule)[3] is an exquisite herb of the mint family with two-toned green leaves and tiny pink upright, orchid-like flowers. [4]
Each newsletter will feature a listing of unusual sightings of birds and mammals. The authors invite responses from readers who have sighted not-so-common species.
This month, we report that a Say’s phoebe hung around thinking it might make good use of the eastern phoebes nest under the eave. But that was not to happen as the eastern phoebe ran it out of town.
All issues of the newsletter will appear in a blog established solely for the purpose of publishing the newsletter (naturenewsletter.blogspot.com). There you can enlarge the photos for better detail and add your interactive comments to the newsletter.
R & D Tusch
[1] A Field Guide to Common South Texas Shrubs by Taylor etal
[2] A Field Guide to Texas Trees by Benny J. Simpson
[3] WIldflowers of the Texas Hill Country by Marshall Endquist p. 167
[4] Read about its medicinal and food value qualities at www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net
