Native Small Timber, Foraging, HOA Native Plant Design

October 14, 2024

Native Small Timber, Foraging, HOA Native Plant Design

It certain looks like Texas missed the memo that it’s time to chill down as soon as and for all! We began Texas Native Plant Week (third week of October) at a report 101° after weeks of no rain. Nonetheless, it appears like we’re lastly on course, simply in time for Texas Arbor Day on November 1. Possumhaw holly’s a small deciduous tree or shrub so as to add to our wildlife habitat listing.

In winter, these plump berries steal the present on sculptural naked branches. Past, russet-toned bald cypress claims leaf-peeping standing for a number of golden weeks. Yaupon holly, one other drought-tough alternative, stays evergreen. In late winter, migrating cedar waxwings noisily swoop in to strip each hollies clear in minutes!

October by way of early March is the very best time to plant timber in Central Texas. So, this week Matt Kolodzie from Pleasant Natives Nursery in Fredericksburg picks a number of smaller specimens (together with possumhaw) to work as accents or for shade in a small yard, all geared for wildlife.

He and John Hart are followers of prairie flameleaf sumac, not just for its swoon-worthy flaming fall colour, however for its very bee-loved flowers. Later, birds devour its reddish fruits. Picture by Matt Kolodzie.

For shade to half shade, Matt goes for roughleaf dogwood. I’ve this one as a privateness display screen on a chain-link fence, though it’s winter-deciduous. In spring, butterflies and bees merely cowl its white flowers. Within the wild, Matt instructed us, it desires to make a thicket, which it certain has for me.

Songbirds shortly devour its notable white berries (fruits).

And for a small shade tree (30×30’) for smaller yards, Matt recommends lacey oak, one which CTG has usually featured. Its pretty blueish-toned leaves flip apricot in fall. Plus, lacey oak is immune to oak wilt.

Right here’s Matt’s small tree/shrubby tree for particulars, together with deer resistance.

Discover the fitting native plant in your yard on the Texas Native Plant Society database.

Uncover how you can forage native and invasive wild vegetation, even in your yard, together with these so-called “weeds” with Eric Knight and Stacy Coplin, authors of Foraging Texas. They’re additionally founders of Native Leaf, the place they make Yaupon Matcha™ from native, wild yaupon hollies, the one native plant in North America that accommodates caffeine (and varied well being advantages).

In Foraging Texas, they profile vegetation throughout the seasons—from timber to chill climate chickweed—together with identification, progress habits and greatest time to choose. After all, they advise warning about the place to reap (not alongside freeway strips), and any areas the place pesticides or herbicides are used.

And so they embody a number of recipes! For us, Stacy reveals off a yummy lamb’s quarters spinach dip. Get her recipe.

Join their improbable foraging lessons on the Wildflower Heart and different areas round city (and I do know they replenish quick!).

Now, what in regards to the little shoots rising on reside oak timber? Brooke Koppy from Dripping Springs needed to know when it’s okay to chop them off. We steered she contact a Licensed Arborist, and that led her to Jessica Jones from Austin Tree Surgeons. Picture by Brooke Koppy.
Jessica defined that these shoots are known as epicormic sprouts, brought on by stress. The stress could possibly be as a result of latest years of prolonged drought, freezes, or each. And sure, we will reduce them again in cool climate, however it’s greatest to not trim in summer time when it’s usually sizzling and dry. Jessica additionally famous that these wounds don’t must be painted after chopping, since they’re very small.

Daphne added: “Stay oaks kind related sprouts from their roots. As with epicormic sprouting within the cover, root sprouts could also be because of stress. If the tree is rising in your garden, you could select to easily mow over the sprouts, or you may prune them off on the base, near the bottom, maybe even pulling up a chunk of the basis together with it. As with cover water sprouts, you don’t have to fret about treating the reduce floor to ban oak wilt, as these small wounds don’t appeal to the sap-feeding Nitidulid beetle that vectors this horrible illness.” However, don’t apply herbicide to those garden roots, since they’re related to the mom tree.

Discover out extra about oak wilt and when to securely prune inclined timber.

On tour: It’s not straightforward ranging from scratch. And once you’re new to Texas, choosing the right vegetation multiplies the problem. However when Martin and Eileen Byhower arrived in Solar Metropolis, Martin couldn’t wait to adapt his horticultural know-how for lawn-free gardens beneath shady reside oak timber in deer nation—in an HOA besides!

Creating variety with deer-resistant vegetation—together with small timber—topped his listing. “I’ve acquired about 150 totally different species of vegetation in my yard, blooming at totally different instances of the 12 months,” he instructed us. A number of elevations with hardscape and plant heights promote visible and wildlife enchantment, from ground-hugging lizards to birds. “So, my yard could possibly be an instance of what’s doable working inside the confines of an HOA.” That’s a flameleaf sumac within the middle, and there’s additionally a aromatic mimosa. On the finish of the raised mattress, there’s a yaupon holly. Learn the weblog and watch his video for extra native plant timber and design concepts.

Watch the entire program now! And thanks for stopping by! Linda