Spiders are fine, but don't touch the caterpillars!

Speaking of Brazos Bend, here's another inhabitant of that particular area--the Golden Silk Spider. Harmless, but not altogether friendly-looking:

(Photo by Aaron.)

By contrast, there's a cute, fuzzy-looking variety of caterpillar out here that I have never personally encountered, which goes by the ominous nickname of "asp". It is so named because its "fuzz" is actually a collection of venomous spines. A close personal encounter with this little guy has the potential to send you to the emergency room.

The South is also home to other varieties of venomous caterpillars.

Being from a region where fuzzy caterpillars provide children with endless entertainment, this is all very strange to me. My rule of thumb while I'm still fairly new out here is not to touch any strange animals until I know exactly what they are. :)

Reptiles and Rain

If you live near a body of water out here, it is a good idea to keep your eyes open for reptilian visitors, especially snakes.

One family in our subdivision (which is located near a river) found a six foot long alligator on their front porch one morning recently.

Here's a picture of an American Alligator taken by my brother at Brazos Bend state park. (Yes, he has a telephoto lens. Gators have a thing about their personal space--don't ever get as close as this picture looks.)

To see more of my brother's photographic genius at work, visit his gallery at DeviantArt.com

Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants

Before getting too excited about an introduced species, check your state's Noxious Weed list, to make sure you aren't planting anything you shouldn't.

Here is the list for Texas.

For other states, click here.

Opuntia (Prickly Pear Cactus)

Generally, the damp, muggy climate of this region would discourage me from growing cacti. But, I might make an exception for this one. I saw a fairly happy looking one growing in a large container in front of someone's house today, which makes me think it just may be possible.

Opuntia ficus-indica. Photo Source: Wikipedia

Why would I even bother?

It so happens that young prickly pear pads are a good, nutritious food, once you remove the spines. I learned this from my grandmother, who prepares a nopales salad from time to time. Being diabetic, my grandmother also appreciates the fact that nopales are good for her blood sugar levels. The fruits are edible as well (probably not for diabetics), but I have never personally tried them.

The two species that I most often hear of being used are Opuntia streptacantha and Opuntia ficus-indica, both natives of Mexico. The latter of these is supposed to taste better. I honestly have no idea which I have tried. My grandmother has a cactus growing in her garden which she occasionally uses for food, but I do not know which exact species it is. It does bear a strong resemblance to the one in the picture above.

Propogation of these from cuttings is fairly easy, from what my grandma tells me. She cut a lobe from another cactus, buried the bottom half in the ground with the top half sticking up, kept it watered for a little while, and just watched it grow. That was about 20 years ago, and it is well established, and (by my guess) at least six feet tall now. In her case, it probably helps that the soil she was dealing with is the sandy kind that this cactus enjoys best. If planted in a hot, sunny location that they like, these things will thrive with little to no maintenance. At least, they will in Southern California. I have yet to see what will happen in the wetter parts of Texas.

Worth trying? Yes. Do I have the slightest clue where to go to get one around here? Nope. Not without knocking on the doors of strangers' houses. Hm. Not quite desperate enough for that.

Eugenia Aggregata Links

The seeds arrived about two weeks ago, and are now planted in containers. We will see if they grow.

In my quest for information about how to grow Cherry of the Rio Grande from seed, I have come across a few websites, some of which I list here.

Desert-Tropicals.com (Includes fertilizing tips)

Tradewindsfruit.com

A website based out of the Canary Islands

Urbanharvest.org



Read the rest ofmy Eugenia Aggregata posts.

Monthly Garden Tasks

Here's something to keep those of us busy who have no idea what we are doing. :)

Cherimoya: Dessert that grows on trees.

Scientific Name: Annona cherimola
USDA zones 9b-11

I have tried these before. It's like a tropical fruit custard in a peel. I am not making this up!

Dave's Garden says that they have been known to grow in Austin, TX. If they can handle Austin, one would think they can handle Houston. They have also been known to grow quite well in California. I'lll have to see if it might be worth growing one here.

It also says the seeds are poisonous if ingested (fortunately, they are large and very hard--easily removed from the fruit before eating). I never knew that. Glad I never swallowed any!

Hmmm....

Wax Ligustrum aka. "Privet"

Photo Source: Magnolia Nursery. Click here for more photos.

This stuff is a staple in landscapes around here. It is in my garden, and I see it planted around many other homes as well. It also makes frequent appearances in municipal gardens in the greater Houston area, and I have also seen it growing quite happily in residential areas around coastal Southern California.

It is easy to understand why these are so common. They are both versitile and hardy. I haven't ever watered mine, but they are doing quite well. Other than the occasional light pruning to keep the hedge shape I want, I pretty much leave them alone. They can be grown in their natural shape, used as tall or medium hedges, and even trained into tree form. Be aware, however, if you try that last option, that you may find yourself trimming little branches off of the bottom to maintain the tree look as long as you have the plant.

In the early spring, you'll see very pretty displays of white flowers like these displayed at Dave's Garden. Blooming happens a little later in milder climates (such as in Southern California). While they may be blooming in California in June, here in Texas, they one can easily observe small berries forming, as the blooming season will have already passed. They are evergreen, so they work well anyplace you want something that keeps its leaves all year.

This plant does have one downside, however. The National Park Service considers this species to be invasive of natural areas in many Southern states, including Texas. Other species of Ligustrum are also listed.

Gardening on Talk Radio

If you can stand to get up that early, there is a garden show on AM 740 of Houston at 6 o'clock in the morning. I stumbled across it this morning on the radio, while my husband and I were trying to find a traffic report. Sounded like good stuff. :) It's probably old news to people who have lived in this area longer, but it was a pleasant new discovery for me.

Since early in the morning seems to be the only tolerable time to do hard work in the yard during the summer, I expect I might be listening on my trusty walkman (yes, I still have one of those) on occasion. Assuming I can drag myself out of bed.

Hibiscus!

Many varieties of hibiscus grow all over the Texas Gulf region, as well as in Southern California. In fact, the Houston Garden Book has an entire chapter on the origins, propagation, and care of these Chinese natives.

Our winters around here are cold enough that these will often need some heavy pruning after they die back from the winter chill, but they are worth having around just for the spectacular flowers.

Here are three examples (once again from my Grandfather's garden):

Black Beauty (Tentative identification.)


Fiesta


Ross Estey is probably my favorite out of the three. Its petals almost shimmer in the sunlight, and the strips of yellow on the back (pictured below) give this flower interest from every angle.

Growing rare fruit from seed..

Here is a handy reference page I found via Google, including information on Eugenia aggregata, which I will be attempting to grow in the near future.



Read the rest ofmy Eugenia Aggregata posts.

Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin) a.k.a. "Mimosa"

I have been seeing these all over the place and wondering what they are. Now I know, thanks to a picture of one I found in a book. And I want one!

Photo Source

Click here for more photos

Unfortunately, they set seed, and are considered invasive in places like Texas, so I will have to consider that before I do anything drastic. Like planting one. It may be worth it though, for a pretty tree. :)



For more on this plant see the following:
Duke University
USDA profile for this plant.
Wikipedia

I have also seen them growing happily in Southern California.

Cherry of the Rio Grande (Eugenia aggregata)

This Brazilian native is not named for the Rio Grande river in the United States. :)



It produces an attractive red fruit, which has a flavor resembling cherries and raspberries at the same time. When I tried them myself, I found that they are a little on the tart side, which I like, but if you are into really sweet stuff, these may not be your thing. According to several sources I have read, the fruit is also useful as an ingredient in homemade jams and jellies.

The specimen pictured here is growing happily in my grandfather's yard in Southern California. According to the profile at DavesGarden.com, it also has been known to grow in Arizona, attesting to its tolerance for drought, and in Florida. Given that its native country is known for its tropical climate, it seems very likely that this species would grow in Texas as well.


I will be acquiring seeds soon from my grandfather's plant. We'll see how that goes. It takes about five years for these things to produce fruit--assuming I don't kill them first. :) More on that as it happens.

Links for more Info:

TradewindsFruit.com
Quisqualis.com (Includes pest info)


Read the rest ofmy Eugenia Aggregata posts.

Book Review: The Tropical Look

Full Title: The Tropical Look: An Encyclopedia of Dramatic Landscape Plants
Author: Robert L. Riffle.

I recently had the opportunity to browse through this one, thanks to my Grandfather who has a copy. It is a handy resource for anybody with an interest in Tropical plants, either by choice, or by necessity. It has two sections of good photographs, and plenty of plant information, including many that will grow on the Texas Gulf Coast. It was while thumbing through this book that I learned the identity of a certain tree I like.

Cons: Still not enough pictures!

Seeking inspiration

My husband and I recently made a trip to the South and Central coasts of California. While there, I kept my eyes on the plants, to see what I could find that will grow in coastal Southern California, as well as the coasts of Texas.

One thing is certain: It is tough to be a plant in either place. In California, plants must be highly tolerant of drought, in Texas, they must be high ly tolerant of excess water. Snow is not a problem in either place, but the occasional nasty freeze during winter is an issue in both regions.

Fortunately for me, I have a grandfather whose backyard is practically his own private botanical garden, and he was happy to show me around and point out plants that have potential for a region like this one. The pictures in this post are ones that I took in his garden, which he planted entirely on his own steam, and grew over a period of almost 14 years now.


Over the next several days, I'll be posting pictures of some of the plants I saw on my trip, and information about them as well. Some of them will be no surprise to experience gulf-coast gardeners, but for a newbie like myself, this is all still fascinating.



I'll also do the occasional post on differences between the two regions in terms of the natural landscape. Just for the heck of it.

This is even truer in humid climates:

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.
- Lou Erickson

I'm still here!

I've been really busy collecting things to blog about here. I will slowly be adding them over the next few weeks. :)

Lantana?

According to commenters more experienced than I, this is another possible identification for the irritating (literally) plant that I posted about before.

Here is a photo and description of Lantana at Floridata.com.

Judging by the picture and description, it seems very likely that what I have is probably a dwarf variety.

A quick Google search reveals that Lantana is known to cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals.

Apparently, Lantana can also put you in a coma if you ingest them. That's what the Houston Garden Book says, anyway. Fortunately, the leaves are so rough, and the odor of cut and damaged plants is such that I can't imagine anyone thinking they are edible. They don't exactly strike me as being the ideal salad green.

Thanks...

...To Nancy and to Garden Obssession for their helpful comments. Drop by their blogs. It's worth a visit.

Verbena? (or Not...)

Apparently this plant can cause contact dermatitis in people with sensitive skin.

At first, I had this confused with verbena, but commenters quickly corrected me there. :)



In any case, the rough edges of those leaves can create skin irritation. I found this out while reaching through a this plant to remove a rather difficult weed. Then I looked it up on the internet, and found out that both lantana and verbena are indeed known to cause skin irritation in some people.

Here's a lovely shot of my arm.

The picture is a little blurry, so the irritation does not show up very well, but I was starting to get a really nice rash all over the inside of my forearm from reaching through the plant to get at a very obnoxious weed. It itched like crazy, but most of it went away in a few hours (it helped that I washed the area after the irritation began), and it is nearly all gone now, just over 24 hours later. And the discomfort was nothing like what I had later the same day, when my big toe had a run in with some angry fire ants.

I am now searching for alternative low-growing shrubby ground cover type things to replace it. Preferably something that doesn't need heavy pruning every winter. More on that as I learn what might work, and what won't.

Hmm.


---------------------------------
Update: Dermatitis from this plant can last longer than 24 hours, despite oral antihistamines and repeated applications of hydrocortisone cream. The rash is still there. I touched the plant on Monday. It is now Thursday. Grrr. Sleeves are highly recommended.

Another Mystery weed.

This is why it is always good to dig up established weeds. You never know if they are spreading under ground when you aren't looking.

There were two of these. I wasn't even able to get all of the underground roots, as they went deep into the ground, but I hope I got enough to keep it from coming back.

Here is the first, and the smaller of the two after I first dug it up


Here it is again (much later after I dug up more of the roots, hence the wilting). I had to take it out in pieces


Here is a larger specimen of the same kind, in the ground.


I'd love to find out what this is. The two were not connected to one another, though they appeared to be perfectly capable of spreading underground. Their roots went fairly deep, and had a really good grip on the soil.

------------------------------------
Update: In an effort to satisfy my curiosity about this plant, I posted a picture of it on the GardenWeb forums at iVillage. Click here to read the responses. The general consensus so far is that it is a tree seedling. On the one hand, this kind of makes me wish I had moved or potted it, rather than killing it and digging it up. On the other hand, I don't know if that would have been a good idea either. Live and learn. :)

Fire ant First Aid

As I had my third encounter with fire ants yesterday, I have been doing a little reading about how to treat these stings.


Here is a useful page on the subject.
And another one with recommendations for bites on children.

For relief of the skin irritation, the most common solutions I have seen, after the wounds have been cleaned and disinfected, are itch creams such as hydrocortizone cream, as well as witch hazel. Oral antihistamines can be helpful as well. I have also seen products at the drugstore labled specifically for use on fire ant stings, but I have not tried them yet, myself.

Some websites also suggest elevating the stung body part as a component of first aid treatment, to help minimize the initial swelling.

As always, severe allergic reactions should be treated in the emergency room.

And when in doubt, see a doctor.

Wintergreen Boxwood (Buxus microphylla japonica)

Saw some at Lowe's today, and thought, "So that's what those are!" I have several in my garden (they seem to be a landscaping staple around here), and I like them. I also like knowing what I have.

Here is what they look like:

Photo from Magnolia Gardens Nursery. See their website for additional plant info.

Though not native to this region, they grow quite well in my garden, even in the mucky "gumbo" soil we have in this region. I don't even water them, just let the local rainfall do its thing. Once in awhile I prune them to keep the shape I want. Good, hardy, low maintenance little plants.

Yup.

Duh! Closed toed shoes best for gardening

Despite the fact that I knew better, I wore flip-flops today while I was gardening.

And something bit me.

And it hurt like the dickens.

I suppose I was kind of asking for it.

Fortunately, whatever it was wasn't deadly.

Judging by how the bites looked later on in the day, it was probably fire ants. Hubby and I disturbed a few today while out doing yard work.

It's kind of interesting living in a region that has so much biodiversity. I just wish I knew more about what parts of it are dangerous, and where to find them.

Anyway, keep your feet and hands protected, especially if you are working around thick foliage, or disturbing dirt and leaf litter. And keep your eyes peeled.

Which reminds me, always check any shoes or gloves kept outside or in garages before putting them on. You never know who might be living in there.

Emersonian Wisdom

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson