Common Name: Anancacho Orchid Tree Bauhinia Lunarioides Type

Common Name: Anancacho Orchid Tree Bauhinia lunarioides

Type: Small tree or medium shrub Light Requirement: Sun, partial sun Water Requirement: Low Heat/Drought Tolerance: Medium Height: 8 to 12 feet Width/Spacing: 6 to 10 feet Flower Color: White or pink Blooming Period: Spring Plant Form or Habit: Large shrub, small tree Foliage Color and Texture: Deciduous. Split resembling cloven hoof. It may hold its leaves during mild winters. Butterfly or bird attracter: Bees, butterflies and birds Deer Resistant: No Plant Use: Shrub or small tree

Although increasingly available from specialty nurseries, Anancacho orchid tree is rare in Texas, growing only in the Anacacho Mts. west of Uvalde and one other small site. It is more common in Mexico. Its delicate, unusual leaves are divided into pairs of two oval leaflets, and showy white or pink flower clusters resembling orchids appear from March through May. In its native habitat in Texas it grows on rocky limestone canyons, and needs well-drained soils to thrive. Its unique foliage and showy flowers make it a beautiful specimen plant, or as a container plant for small areas. If grown in afternoon shade, it is an open graceful tree. If grown in full sun, it is bushier and fuller. It is small enough to be included in a large flowerbed.

Orchid trees make a gorgeous display with its silvery-gray bark and white flowers that resemble orchids. It is a rapid-growing tree and does best when planted on the south side of a building, protected from winter winds. It can be nipped back by extremely cold winters.

Source of data: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/bauhinialunarioid.htm http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/potw_anacacho.htm http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BALU

Extension programs service people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating A member of The Texas A&M University System and its statewide Agriculture Program.

Common Name: Anancacho Orchid Tree - Mexican Bauhinia lunarioides

This small tree is a great choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. It gets only 4 to 8 feet tall and spreads to as much as 6 feet wide.

With this growth habit, Mexican orchid tree is really more of a shrub, and it looks beautiful when allowed to grow like a shrub, with fuller foliage and more flowers, so be sure to give it plenty of space to spread out. This plant can be a little frost-tender, so place it in a protected spot near your home, in a southern exposure perhaps, where the walls of your house might radiate a few extra degrees of warmth during the winter. But even though Mexican orchid tree likes to be a little warmer when it”s cold out, it doesn”t easily tolerate the intense heat of our full summer sun, so choose a spot that”s protected from the harsh afternoon rays, or one that gets bright, filtered light all day. And if you’re a real butterfly fan, be sure to plant this tree close to a window or porch, where you can sit and enjoy the fluttering all summer long. Bauhinia is covered with large and showy, but at the same time very delicate, pink or white flowers, from summer through early fall. Even out of bloom, its form and intriguing leaves are a real showoff as an understory accent. Mexican orchid tree is normally deciduous, but may freeze to the ground in harsh winters. If it does freeze, simply cut back the dead trunks when you begin to notice new growth in the spring, probably be sometime in March. And an important quality for many of us, Mexican orchid tree is listed to be deer resistant

Source of data: http://www.klru.org/ctg/resource/mexican-orchid-tree/

Common Name: Apache Plume Fallugia paradoxa

Plant Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Low Heat/Drought Tolerance: High Height: 48 inches Width/Spacing: 48 inches Flower Color: Pinkish Blooming Period: Spring to fall Plant Form or Habit: shrub Foliage Color and Texture: Deciduous Butterfly or bird attracter: Deer Resistant: Yes Plant Use: Border, xeriscapes

The Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) is most identifiable by its purplish-pink featherlike seed heads that appear on the heels of tiny white spring blooms. This extremely drought-tolerant shrub belongs to the Rosaceae, or rose, family. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. Landscape uses for the Apache plume include mass plantings, xeriscapes, hedges and borders. Blooms on new growth.

Plant the Apache plume in a south or west portion of your landscape that receives the warmest temperatures. Choose a spot that receives full, direct sunlight and contains extremely well-draining, sandy soil. Space the plant 6 feet away from other vegetation.

Water young, newly planted Apache plumes once a week. Flood the soil surrounding the shrub with a garden hose. Reduce supplemental watering once the shrub becomes established and starts to produce new foliage and stems. Water mature, established shrubs once a month during hot summer months and periods of no rainfall

Prune the Apache plume in the late winter while it is still dormant. Cut out any broken, damaged or diseased stems using a pair of pruning shears. Make each cut 1/4 inch above a growth node or dormant bud. Thin the plant by no more than one-third, removing the oldest stems first.

Source of data: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-apache-plume-38001.html http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1742.html

Common Name: Arroyo Sweetwood

Botanical name: Myrospermum sousanum

This rare tree is a native to the border area of Texas & Mexico and was only cataloged in 1982. A highly ornamental, small, leguminous tree, it bears small, deliciously scented, white, pea-like flowers in clusters of 10 or more. Both the flowers & wood are strongly vanilla-cinnamon scented. Developing quickly to 10’ - 20’ tall & wide, it usually has a multi- trunked form. The light green compound leaves turn gold in the Fall & are deciduous. Hardy to 15 °F? Average soil.

This is an exceptional choice for a fragrant understory tree since it only reaches 12 to 18' in central Texas. It was originally discovered by Lynn Lowry in Mexico in the late 1980s. For unknown reasons, it has never been utilized sufficiently by landscape designers. It should be used often because this Sweetwood meets so many of the desirable traits we all seek in our residential landscape. Each spring the tree is covered in white, highly fragrant blossoms that are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The white blooms emit a strong scent of allspice or cinnamon. The plant's optimum soil is highly alkaline, but it thrives in almost any type except for sand. It is xeric and drought-tolerant when established. It is fastgrowing and tiny when established. Contrary to what most reference works say about the habitat range of this tree, there are excellent mature specimens growing in public locations in Waco, Austin, and San Antonio, indicating the viability in USDA zones 8 through 10a.

Source of data: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/butterfly/msg121145371629.html

http://hillcountrynatives.net/catablog-items/arroyo-sweetwood-myrospernum-sousanum/

Common Name: Dwarf Barbados Cherry

Malpighia glabra

Plant Type: Shrub Light Requirement: Dappled shade, part shade, full sun Water Requirement: Low Hardiness/Zone: 9 Heat/Drought Tolerance: High Height: 3-4 feet Width/Spacing: 1 ½ - 2 ½ feet apart Flower Color: White to pale pink Blooming Period: March to December Plant Form or Habit: Shrub Foliage Color and Texture: Evergreen Butterfly or bird attracter: Butterflies, birds Deer Resistant: No Plant Use: Use as hedge, or accent shrub

Barbados Cherry develops into a thick, rounded canopy of fairly delicate foliage. Small pink flowers appear periodically from April to October and are followed about one month later by bright red, tart-tasting, 1-inch fruits which are high in vitamin C.

This is an outstanding small evergreen shrub for central and south Texas. Leaves are a glossy dark green with an abundance of multi-colored pink flowers from late Spring through the Fall. Flowers are followed by attractive bright red berries that are prized by songbirds. Barbados cherry grows to a maximum height of 3-4' and is easily hedged for a more formal look. It is drought and cold tolerant and will keep its leaves on down to the mid 20's. In unusually cold winters, the plant may freeze to the ground but quickly recovers its original size.

Source: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAGL6 http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/plantguide/viewdetails.cfm?plant_id=81

Name: Bay Laurel – Sweet Bay

Scientific Name: Laurus nobilis

Bay Laurel is most known for its dark green, glossy leaves, and spicy, pungent flavor. Plant your Bay Laurel, in an attractive tub or container plant for the patio. This herb performs best in fertile soil kept moderately moist. Use your Bay Laurel as a seasoning, garnish and for pickling mixtures. Its leaves have the strongest flavor when slowly dried.

To harvest leaves from your Sweet Bay plant cut the older leaves from the stem with a pair of scissors, or if you’re careful you can simply pull the leaves off of the stem by hand. The large, older Bay leaves are preferred for cooking because they will contain more of the plant’s essential oil and impart more flavors to your favorite recipes’

A single Bay Laurel plant can supply the family chef with more than enough fresh leaves to season meals for the entire year. Harvest the Bay leaves from the plant as they are needed in the kitchen or remove and dry the leaves for future uses.

Fresh Bay leaves will be stronger than the dried herb and if you keep a live Bay plant around there’s really no need to preserve the leaves or purchase the spice from your grocer. Bay Laurel leaves are commonly used to season and add flavor to soups, stews, pot roasts, and other slow cooking kitchen recipes. Remove the leaves before serving because the leaves are tough and may have sharp edges.

Sweet Bay can withstand the heat of summer and will grow best when allowed to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Delay bringing your Bay Laurel inside until late fall but don’t subject the plants to any freezing weather conditions.

Once the plants are moved indoors stop applying fertilizer and cut back on the amount of water that you provide over the winter, but don’t let the container completely dry out. Place the Bay Laurel in a relatively cool, well lit area, or use a grow light bulb to supplement the amount of light that the herb plant receives.

In early spring gradually allow the Bay Laurel plants to acclimate to the outdoors in the same manner that you would harden off vegetable transplants. The hardening off process can be completed in a shorter timeframe than for vegetable seedlings, but the Bay plants will need sufficient time to adjust to the harsher outdoor growing conditions before they resume their life outdoors.

Source: http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/13460 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/bay-laurel-plants/

Common Name: Mexican Bird of Paradise

Botanical name: Caesalpinia mexicana

Plant Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Low Heat/Drought Tolerance: High Height: 3-6 ft with equal spread; more tree-like in warmer location Flower Color: red, orange Width: To 15 ft. Blooming Period: Summer, fall Plant Form or Habit: Shrub Foliage Color and Texture: fern like Butterfly or bird attracter: Nectar source Plant Use: Summer color, tropical effect

Mexican poinciana is found in Texas only in the extreme lower Rio Grande Valley. It is grown mainly for its highly fragrant, golden flowers borne in attractive racemes 3 to 6 inches long. In tropical regions it can grow to a tree of 15 feet, but north of its native range it usually performs as an herbaceous perennial, growing to a 3 to 6 foot shrub in a growing season. It is highly ornamental with its spectacular flowers and ferny foliage, and thrives in heat, tolerating reflected heat that many flowering shrubs and trees cannot. Caesalpinia mexicana can freeze back in the winter but it will quickly sprout back in the spring.

 Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)  Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia mexicana)  Yellow Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii)

Source of data: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/caesalpiniamexicana.htm

Common Name: Aesculus pavia L. Scarlet Buckeye, Red buckeye, Firecracker plant Hippocastanaceae (Horse-Chestnut Family)

Type: Small tree or large shrub Light Requirement: Part Shade Water Requirement: Moist Height: 15 to 30 feet Width/Spacing: Flower Color: Red Blooming Period: Spring Plant Form or Habit: Large shrub, small tree Foliage Color and Texture: Deciduous Butterfly or bird attracter: Butterflies, insects Deer Resistant: Moerate Plant Use: Shrub or small tree

Native from North Carolina south to Florida, west to central Texas, and as far north as Illinois, Aesculus pavia is a handsome shrub or small tree with showy panicles of deep red or yellow, campanulate flowers in early spring. The flower clusters are 6-10 inches long, and the individual flowers are 1-1 1/2 inches long. The stamens are rarely much longer than the top petals, usually shorter. The leaves are made up of 5 leaflets joined at a central point on a stem as long as the leaf. They are fine-toothed, glossy dark green above and whitish beneath. The leaves usually drop by the end of summer.

Two varieties are recognized. Aesculus pavia var. pavia has red flowers and is found throughout the range of the species except the western Edwards Plateau in central Texas, where variety flavescens occurs. Variety flavescens has pale to vivid, yellow flowers and is found naturally in only a few counties in central Texas. Where the ranges of the two varieties overlap, hybridization occurs, producing flowers in various combinations of yellow and red. It is normal for this plant to drop its leaves by the end of summer, so try to place it where it will be highly visible in the early spring but less noticeable after it drops its leaves. The seeds and young shoots are poisonous if ingested and indigenous people crushed these parts and put them in water to stupefy fish for easier capture. Soap may be obtained from the roots and a black dye from the wood. Drought Tolerance: Medium Soil Description: Deep, well-drained sand, loam, clay, limestone. Variety pavia prefers more acidic, often sandy soils than variety flavescens, which is found in rocky limestone soils within its range. Conditions Comments: Do not over-water. Too much water can lead to leaf spot diseases. Does best if protected from afternoon sun

Source of data: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=AEPA

Common Name: Monterey Blue Dalea bicolor

Plant Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Low Heat/Drought Tolerance: High Height: 6 to 8 ft tall Width/Spacing: 5 – 6 ft spread Flower Color: Blue Blooming Period: July thru October Plant Form or Habit: groundcover Foliage Color and Texture: Deciduous Butterfly or bird attracter: Bees Deer Resistant:

Great background shrub with spikes of blue flowers in the fall. Mature size is usually 6-8' tall by 5-6' wide. Plants are evergreen in mild climates, but will freeze back with hard frosts. Fast growing. Flowers are deep blue spikes contrasting with fine textured grey green foliage. Deciduous in cold climes. Full sun, Well drained sites

When you need a large background shrub with fall flower color, consider using Monterrey BlueTM. This fastgrowing shrub has a rounded form. In the fall months, delicate deep blue flowers spikes contrast with the fine textured green foliage. Monterrey BlueTM is deciduous in colder climates, and can be cut back in the late winter or early spring as you would red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima). Plant this shrub in full sun and well-drained soil. It is hardy to 10° F. As with the other daleas, the flowers attract bees.

Source of data: http://www.gardeninginarizona.com/Plants/Fabaceae/Dalea_bicolor.html http://www.mswn.com/media/info_sheets/dalea_bicolor_v_bicolor.pdf

Common Name: Desert Willow - Burgundy Chilopsis linearis 'Burgundy'

Type: Tree Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Low Height: 12 to 36 feet Width/Spacing: Flower Color: White, pink, purple Blooming Period: April - September Plant Form or Habit: Tree Foliage Color and Texture: Deciduous, willow-like light green Butterfly or bird attracter: Butterflies, insects, birds Deer Resistant: Moderate Plant Use: Ornamental tree

Desert-willow is a 15-30 ft., slender-twigged, small tree or large shrub often with leaning trunk and open, spreading crown. Leaves are deciduous, willow-like, light green, both opposite and alternate, 4–12 inches long and 1/3 inch wide. The blossom is funnel-shaped, 1–1 1/2 inches long, spreading at the opening into 5 ruffled, petal-like lobes. The flower is dark pink or purple, often with white or yellow and purple streaking within the throat. The catalpa-like flowers are borne in terminal racemes By early autumn the violet-scented flowers, which appear after summer rains, are replaced by slender seedpods, 6–10 inches long, which remain dangling from the branches and serve to identify the tree after the flowers are gone.

Despite its name, this species is not related to willows.

Soil Description: Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Rocky, limestone soils. Conditions Comments: Desert-willow is a slender-twigged, small tree or large shrub with pale-pink, lavender-streaked, catalpa-like flowers borne in terminal racemes. The ensuing seed pods are pencil thin. Deciduous leaves are willow-like and light green. Desert Willow is important in erosion control and is planted also as an ornamental.

Use Ornamental: Showy, Fast growing, Attractive, Blooms ornamental Use Wildlife: Nectar-hummingbirds, Nectar-insects, Seeds-granivorous birds

The wood is weak, so be sure to prune to create good structure with no bark included in the branch crotches. Thin main branches that grow very long. Cultivars include "White Storm', 'Dark Storm', 'Marfa Lace', 'Alpine', 'Hope', 'Tejas', 'Barranco', 'Burgundy' (no fruit) and others. 'Lois Adams' is a new trademarked cultivar with outstanding purple-red flowers and little or no pod production.

Source of data: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CHLI2

Common Name: Fairy Duster – Red or Pink Calliandra californica - red Calliandra eriophylla - pink

Plant Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Low Heat/Drought Tolerance: High Height: 6 to 12 inches Width/Spacing: Flower Color: Pink or Red Blooming Period: Spring to fall Plant Form or Habit: Shrub Foliage Color and Texture: Deciduous Butterfly or bird attracter: Attract butterflies and hummingbirds Deer Resistant: Somewhat Plant Use: Border, rock garden, ornamental shrub

Fairy-duster is a straggling, densely branched, deciduous shrub to 3 ft., though usually much shorter, with grayish-pubescent leaflets, flowers and pods. The petals of fairy duster are inconspicuous; it is the long, pink or red filaments of the stamens that make the showy display. This little shrub is an inconspicuous part of the arid landscape most of the year, but in spring the exquisite clusters of flowers with their many long stamens form delicate, pink or red balls, giving the plant a fluffy pink or red appearance in full bloom. It belongs to a group of mostly tropical woody plants that includes acacias and mimosas.

Low densely branching plant with small compound leaves and 2 flowering balls, formed by the long colored filaments of 20 or more exerted stamens emerging from small clustered flowers. Seeds will typically germinate without pretreatment; however, nicking will generally hasten and unify germinatation. Seedlings are fast growing and easy to move to larger containers. It prefers dry, gravelly soils in full sun but will accept partial shade although will flower less. Though slow-growing, fairy duster is valuable as erosion control. It is extremely drought-tolerant and somewhat resistant to browsing. Tip-prune to increase density.

Source of data: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER

Common Name: Flowering Senna

Botanical name: Cassia corymbosa

Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Full Sun/part shade Water Requirement: Low Heat/Drought: High Height: 5 to 10 ft Width/Spacing: 5 ft to 9 ft Flower Color: Yellow Blooming Period: Aug. to Sep. Plant Form or Habit: Shrub/small tree Foliage Color and Texture: Semi- evergreen Butterfly or bird attracter: Deer Resistant: Usually Plant Use: Containers, flower beds

The flowers of Cassia are brilliant waxy yellow that contrast pleasantly with the leaves. The pea-like yellow flowers of the Cassia tree hang in clusters about a foot long and in clusters about a foot long and at the blooming climax can completely cover the oval shaped leaf canopy. Whereas, the Cassia shrub rarely forms a tree in zone 8, it does form a medium sized tree in zone 9, 10 and 11, and at the maximum flowering threshold the golden canopy glows as if incandescently lighted.

Flowering Senna is a beautiful plant in the late summer and fall when it bursts with blooms. Depending on the growing conditions, it forms a small tree of about five to 10 ft high. Especially it’s noted for it’s airy appearance and brilliant yellow flowers. It’s quite hardy in our area. Sometimes in colder climates it can die down to the ground, but it does really well coming back each year. It is a late season bloomer, so it gives you some late season color in the garden. You can let it form a giant mounded bush or you can trim it up, forming sort of a mini tree by removing the branches down around the lower trunk. It is also a larval food source for the Sulphur butterfly.

Source of data: http://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=senna_corymbosa http://www.klru.org/ctg/plant/name/Flowering_Senna/ http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/plantguide/viewdetails.cfm?plant_id=262

Common Name: Germander, Bush- teucrium fruiticans

Plant Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Low Heat/Drought Tolerance: High Height: 3 to 4 feet Width/Spacing: 4 to 5 feet Flower Color: Dark blue Blooming Period: Summer to fall Plant Form or Habit: Evergreen round shrub Foliage Color and Texture: Grey green with silvery undersides, 1 inch long Butterfly or bird attracter: Deer Resistant: Yes Plant Use: Rock garden, shrub for low hedge or a foundation plant in a perennial garden

Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum' (Bush Germander) - Smaller than the species, this cultivar grows as a silver mound to 4-5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. The leaves are gray-green above and silver white beneath, which gives the whole plant a silvery appearance. Deep blue flowers bloom at branch tips in the summer-fall. It prefers a sunny location and occasional water. This is a great plant for the informal mediterranean planting or sheared in a formal garden. It is hardy to 0 - 10 degrees F. Bush Germander is an evergreen full sun shrub that is not only fast growing, but also deer resistant with blue azure flowers in late Spring to early Summer. They appreciate full sun and very good drainage, preferably light soil. T. fruticans has been grown for nearly 300 years in gardens as a flowering shrub and formal clipped greyish-green hedge, although regular trimming removes the fine spikes of pale lavender-blue, two-lipped flowers, like those of rosemary. Tolerates poor, rocky soil; performs best in neutral to alkaline conditions; full sun. Just like lavender, this is a great one for people on the go during summers, as it likes to be deep watered once or twice a month, and only really hates ‘wet feet’ of overwatering. Use Bush Germander for a rock garden, shrub for low hedge or as a foundation plant in a perennial garden Trim in late winter to keep bushy, do not just shear it.

Source of data: http://www.mtnsage.com/nursery/deer_profiles/bush_germander.html

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Lamiaceae/Teucrium_fruticans.html

Common Name: Golden Leadball Tree

Botanical name: Leucaea retusa

Few trees can give your yard more beauty and visual interest than the Golden Ball leadtree (Leguminosae retusa). From April to October, 1-inch flower balls cover the tree with a profusion of sweet-smelling, lemon-yellow powder-puff flowers. The largest flushes of flowers occur after rains. The tree’s feathery, bright green, twicepinnately compound leaves cast a filtered shade, allowing you to plant flowers and shrubs under it. This tree is also known by a variety of other names: Wahootree, Littleleaf Leadtree, Lemonball, Little Leucaena, and Momosa.

The Golden Ball leadtree is a member of the pea family, and like other members. of the family such as mesquite and Wright’s catclaw (acacia wrightii), it bears its seeds in pods. Its fruit is a straight, narrow pod 3 to 10 inches long. It grows rapidly, often with multiple trunks. It is a native, warm-season and very decorative, single or multi-stem small tree. In an undisturbed state, plants can reach 25 feet in height. However, a typical specimen of 15 feet has a crown spread of 10 feet. The moderate size of this tree makes it suitable for planting near buildings, along drives and walks, in courtyards, and in other areas of limited space. With its long summer bloom, the Golden Ball leadtree is compatible in a colorscape design with early bloomers such as Western redbud, Mexican buckeye, Desert Bird of Paradise and Fairy Duster.

The Golden Ball leadtree is very drought tolerant and can withstand reflected heat. It also adapts to different soils, but prefers good drainage. The bark is cinnamon-colored and flaky. Its wood is brittle and can break in high winds and ice storms.

Native Habitat: Found in the dry canyons of the Guadalupe Mountains south to Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert and east to central Texas from 3,000 to 6,500 feet. This tree is also found on limestone hills and dry rocky slopes in western portions of the Edwards Plateau and the Trans-Pecos area. Plants may also be found in New Mexico. It can tolerate well-drained loam, sand, clay, limestone, and caliche.

Source of data: http://aces.nmsu.edu/county/donaana/mastergardener/documents/jan10-mg-newsltr.pdf

Common Name: Texas Kidneywood, Bee-Bush

Eysenhardtia texana Scheele

Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Low Height: 3 to 10 feet Width/Spacing: 8 ft. Flower Color: White - Fragrant Blooming Period: May to October Plant Form or Habit: Shrub Foliage Color and Texture: Finely divided leaves Butterfly or bird attracter: Bees and other nectar insects Deer Resistant: Minimal Plant Use: Aromatic, Accent tree or shrub, Blooms ornamental, Fast growing, Showy

Texas kidneywood is an unarmed, much-branched shrub, 3-10 ft. tall, with an open, airy structure. A many-branched shrub with an open crown and gland-dotted, aromatic, resinous leaves and flowers. Its 3-4 in. spikes of white flowers are fragrant, as are the deciduous, finely divided leaves. Leaves up to 3 1/2 inches long, consisting of a central axis and as many as 40 small leaflets, each about 1/4 inch long, pungent when crushed. Flowers white, small, with a delicate fragrance, arranged in spikes up to 4 1/2 inches long at the ends of branchlets, appearing intermittently from May to October. Fruit a pod about 3/8 inch long, often with a threadlike tip. Seed pods are somewhat persistent. This tree and its relative, the more westerly E. orthocarpa, were once used in remedies for kidney and bladder ailments, hence the name.

Kidneywood foliage has a pungent, citrusy smell. Bees flock to the ambrosial flowers, which bloom at intervals through the warm months. The Dogface butterfly also eats kidneywood as larval food. Can create a small tree with proper pruning. May temporarily lose leaves during a dry spell. Drought-tolerant.

Source of data: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=EYTE

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/eysenhardtiatexan.htm

Common Name: Mexican Olive Cordia boissieri

Cordia boissieri (Texas Wild Olive) - A evergreen large shrub or trained up as a small tree with attractive bark and a rounded shape to 15 to 25 feet tall by as wide. It has thick 5 inch long ovate leaves that are at first a soft lightly fuzzy texture but harden with age and are gray-green above and paler below. The flowers, in peak bloom spring into summer but with often present nearly year-round are in clusters of 2 inch wide funnel-shaped white flowers with yellow throats and petals that have a crepe paper texture. These are followed by yellow-green olive-like fruit that slightly resemble an olive.

Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil with occasional to very little water. Evergreen in mild years with and tip damage in frosts down to the mid 20's°F and wood hardy to around 18°F and root hardy a bit lower - it is said that it can be treated more as a perennial in USDA zone 8b.

This is an attractive small tree with very attractive flowers, foliage and bark that is drought tolerant and handles windy and coastal conditions. It is a bit too messy for a patio or near the pool but sensational elsewhere in the garden. Birds and animals eat the fruit and the flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Though the fruit are sweet, they are considered slightly toxic to humans when fresh. Indigenous people make jellies and dyes from the fruit and use the wood for firewood and light carpentry.

This plant has a native range that extends from Rio Grande valley of southern Texas south to San Luis Potosi in Mexico. The name for the genus honors the 16th century German botanists Euricius Cordus and his son Valerius Cordus and the specific epithet is named for the 19th century Swiss botanist Pierre-Edmond Boissier. Other common names include Anacahuita, Mexican Olive, White Geiger and White Cordia.. This plant is commonly seen in Arizona and Texas but older plants grace gardens in Santa Barbara and there is a beautiful specimen on the Pitzer College campus in Claremont as well..

Source of data: http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3872

Name: Mountain Laurel

Texas mountain laurel, Sophora secundiflora, is one of the native plants that was accepted by the nursery industry as it exists in the wild, and it has become a star performer of the landscaping industry in Texas.

Texas mountain laurel is evergreen with shiny green foliage. It grows naturally as a shrub to about 15 feet, but can be trained to a small tree by cutting out all but one stem at ground level. It looks especially nice as a specimen plant with three to five stems.

The light purple blooms in early spring (usually early March) are spectacular. They have a powerful fragrance that reminds me of the grape bubble gum that I paid a penny for as a kid. Other "smell experts" have described the fragrance as that of grape Kool-Aid.

Plant Texas mountain laurel in full sun. It does best in well-drained soils but tolerates most clays. Do not put it in soggy, low situations. Texas mountain laurel does not grow fast in the best conditions, but you can increase the growth rate to about two feet per year if it is growing in good soil and it is fertilized twice per year. Fast-growing Texas mountain laurels, however, are slow to begin blooming. A Texas mountain laurel growing at a moderate rate may bloom when it reaches four to five feet, but a heavily fertilized plant may have to be seven or eight feet tall.

Texas mountain laurel is a tough plant. It is a premiere xeriscape plant. Excessive moisture in poorly drained soil can kill them but drought usually cannot. Borers may occasionally attack mountain laurel. If the holes are noticed in time, a borer spray applied in April and August may help. The most common complaint is the Uresiphita reversalis caterpillars. The larvae themselves are hard to find but the damage can be quite noticeable; one day the shrub is fully leafed and the next day there will be bare stalks. The caterpillars are no threat to healthy, established Texas mountain laurel. They may slow the growth of young plants. The Texas mountain laurel is called mescal bean by some gardeners. It forms a seedpod that contains red, round beans by late summer. The beans cause hallucinations at low levels. The beans are also very poisonous if the alkaloids within are released.

Pruning is rarely necessary or advisable. The flower stalks form on silvery, flexible stems. In addition to inappropriate pruning and heavy fertilization, too much shade is a main reason for limiting the bloom. Full sun is essential for good bloom, even though the foliage can remain attractive for years after they get overgrown by oaks and other shade trees.

Source: http://www.plantanswers.com/texas_mountain_laurel.htm http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=sose3

Common Name: Pomagranite ‘Wonderful’

Punica

Type: Tree Light Requirement: Sun Water Requirement: Medium Height: 10 to 12 feet Width/Spacing: 6 to 8 ft Flower Color: Reddish-orange Blooming Period: Late spring Plant Form or Habit: Tree Foliage Color and Texture: Semi-evergreen Butterfly or bird attracter: Deer Resistant: None Plant Use: Fruit

The Wonderful pomegranate tree could have received it name for the large, purple-red fruit with a delicious flavor is produces. Its low chill hours of 150 hours below 40 degrees fits most coastal locations. Its glossy leaves with showy reddish-orange blossoms in late spring are an added feature in your yard. The long-lived nature of the Wonderful pomegranate and the fact it will survive in less than perfect growing conditions make this tree a Number 1 seller. Great for juicing!

Because pomegranate trees originate from areas with a hot climate, they do not require much water and can withstand drought conditions. However, always water newly planted pomegranate trees every two weeks during dry periods. Fertilize the soil around new pomegranate trees with 2 to 4 oz. of nitrogen fertilizer during their first two springs. Pomegranate trees don't need fertilizer once established.

Pick pomegranate fruits when they are a deep pink color and sound like metal when tapped. Always pick the fruit before it is over-ripe. The flavor and juiciness of pomegranates improves with storage. Store them at 32 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit for up to seven months

'Wonderful'–originated as a cutting in Florida and propagated in California in 1896. The fruit is oblate, very large, dark purple-red, with medium-thick rind; deep-red, juicy, winey pulp; medium-hard seeds. Plant is vigorous and productive.

Source of data: http://www.naturehills.com/product/wonderful_pomegranate.aspx http://www.ehow.com/info_7980745_pomegranate-tree-care.html

Common Name: Sumac, Prairie Flame Leaf Rhus lanceolata

Type: Shrub Light Requirement: Sun, partial sun Water Requirement: Low Height: 8 to 12 feet Width/Spacing:12 to 30 feet Flower Color: White, yellow, green Blooming Period: July-August Plant Form or Habit: Shrub Foliage Color and Texture: Leathery with orange-red fruit Butterfly or bird attracter: Butterflies, insects, birds Deer Resistant: Moderate Plant Use: Shrub, hedge or screen

Prairie Flameleaf Sumac is a thicket- forming, small, deciduous tree to 30 ft. in height, but usually no taller than 20 ft. Pyramidal panicles of red, fall fruit follow white, summer blossoms. Pinnately-compound foliage becomes vivid red or orange in fall. Native from southern Oklahoma through north, central, and west Texas to New Mexico and south to Puebla in central Mexico, the limestone-loving Prairie Flameleaf Sumac is relatively fast growing, generally pest- and disease-free, and heat-, cold-, and drought-tolerant. Flameleaf is a perfect description of this trees outstanding, orange and red, autumn foliage, but its pale trunk and branches, green summer leaves, and pyramidal clusters of red fall fruit are also noteworthy. Though it may sucker from the base to form a colony, it is not as likely to aggressively colonize as the more easterly Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum). Like the very different-looking Evergreen Sumac (Rhus virens), Prairie Flameleaf Sumac produces berries that, when soaked in water, make a tart, tasty, high-Vitamin C tea.

Use Ornamental: Provides accent texture and vivid fall color as well as hardiness and easy maintenance. It is an excellent, relatively fast growing landscaping choice because of its ornamental fruits and fall foliage. Use Wildlife: Birds, especially bobwhites, grouse, and pheasants, consume quantities of the fruit in winter, and deer browse the foliage. Use Other: The leaves contain tannin and have been used in tanning leather. Conspicuous Flowers: yes Interesting Foliage: yes Larval Host: Red-banded Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak

Source of data: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHLA3