December 2012 in our Wildscape

Not a very pretty time of year, but winter deserves some monthly photos, too....

What's number one on my Wish List?

A Blanco crabapple tree, of course!

Photo by Sally and Andy Wasowski

How cool would THAT be? Years ago, I wrote a feature on the species for Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine and got to visit with the late horticulturist and Texas native plant specialist Benny Simpson on the phone for his input. Now I'm dreaming of growing one in our Wildscape. 

But first, I've got to learn what I can about crabapples and how to go about planting and caring for one....

So here's what Mr. Smarty Plants on Wildflower.org advises on the subject. This is an answer to a June 2012 question, "I purchased a Blanco crabapple tree. Should I plant it now or wait until Fall? It is currently rootbound."

Mr. Smarty Plants: "This tree is a member of the Rosaceae family, which doesn't tend to make huge roots nor to object to planting at the wrong time of the year. We think you should go ahead and get it out of that pot and into the ground, but get the ground ready before you take it out of the pot. Until then, keep it in part shade, and give it water when the top of the soil is dry.

"Next, get the hole ready. Select a partly shady area in your garden (2 to 6 hours of sun a day). Dig a good big hole, bigger around than the diameter of the pot, because you already know there is too much root in that pot. Mix into the native dirt a nice amount of good quality compost, to help with drainage and making it possible for small new rootlets to get out into the dirt and access nutrients. For the actual planting we recommend you wait until late in the day, maybe even after sunset, and/or work in the shade. Lift the plant out of the pot. With some good sharp garden nippers, clip through some of the wrapped-around roots. You need to be ruthless about this, because if the roots are not forced out into the soil, they will just keep wrapping around until they strangle the plant.

"Set the clipped plant into the prepared hole, just slightly lower than the surface of the ground around the soil. Now fill in the mixed soil around the plant, letting it be a little higher than the top of the soil in the pot, because as you water, the soil will sink. Stick a hose deep down into the new soft dirt and let the water dribble very slowly until it comes to the surface. Do this about twice a week until the leaves start to perk up. Do not overhead water it, as from a sprinkler. Members of the Rose Family are very susceptible to fungus and rusts.

"Don't fertilize. the Blanco Crabapple is native to a very small portion of Central Texas, and native plants rarely need fertilizer because they are already accustomed to the climate, soil and rain. When the plant has kind of settled in, you might want to trim away some of the foliage, especially any that is thin or bare, to take some of the load off the roots which are trying to re-establish themselves after the root pruning. Spread about 4 inches of a good quality shredded bark compost on the root area, without letting it get up against the trunk. This will help to keep weeds down, protect the roots from heat and cold, hold moisture in and, as it decomposes, improve the texture of the soil."

Botanical illustration by Collene Sweeney

 Merry CHRISTmas, everyone!

O Happy Day - a winter hummer!

I'm so so so EXCITED! We'd decided to leave up one feeder this season in hopes of attracting a Rufous hummingbird. This morning, we've spotted this little female TWICE!     HIP HIP HIP hooray!!

One beetle I can't stand

Last April, I reported on finding huge populations of a small metallic brown beetle, feeding on our greenthreads and coreopsis. (See "Beetle infestation!" and "More on beetle infestation.") I am very tolerant of nearly every species in our Wildscape. EXCEPT this one: Phaedon desotonis. It is one beetle that I will smush on sight, often with relish.

Beetles be gone.

Yesterday, when I was in the back yard, checking on plants, I glanced over at the coreopsis and spotted oodles of my arch enemy, feasting on the leaves. ARGH! So I went back in the house and fetched a bowl of water with one drop of liquid dish soap added. Then I proceeded to knock down and pinch off the offenders. I also dug around in the debris and found more attached to the underside of leaves and twigs. Grrrr.

I suppose we're in for another infestation of these things come spring. Rats rats rats!!!! 

I drowned quite a few of the nasty insects, which are kind of pretty, actually.

Coreopsis leaves and stems damaged by these dratted beetles.

Help with IDs? Solved!

Does anyone recognize either or both of these woody/shrubby plants that have showed up in the Meadow?

Thorns! Perhaps bluewood condalia? Definitely gum bumelia (see below).

No thorns. A yaupon? Very likely! Yay!

Sample leaves from both plants....

From Joe Marcus, living collections manager at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: "I’m going to have to agree with Anonymous and say it’s gum bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum). The spurs visible in your picture are not always present, but some trees will be studded with them.  Growing conditions and growth rate could be factors in their formation. The other plant does appear to be Ilex vomitoria."

This is going to get interesting.

Jason Singhurt, a plant ecologist/botanist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, says, "The first plant is gum bumelia, and the second one is deciduous holly." 

I'm good either way! 

Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) or possumhaw (Ilex decidua)

December 1 and still lots going on

Yes, Gulf fritillary moms are still laying eggs, even on passionflower stems with hardly any leaves left. So Sheryl checks certain vines knowing this about fritillary moms and transports their cat kids to vines with plenty of leaves (like the two below).

Gulf fritillary larva

A younger Gulf fritillary larva

Black swallowtail larva on rue

Copper canyon daisy still hosting variegated fritillaries (above left), white-checkered skippers (right) and phaon crescents.

A monarch spotted TODAY on the fragrant mistflower!

LOADS of queens along with American ladies and other nectaring insects on the fragrant mistflower.

Seeding the Meadow

July wildflower seeds....

Grass and wildflower seeds from our land...

Last July and just yesterday, I distributed seeds across the Meadow in hopes of starting new natives (green bowl). Summer seeds included beebalm, Indian blanket and others I can't even remember now. Yesterday I collected seedheads from gayfeathers, goldenrod, Lindheimer muhly, switchgrass, Indiangrass, flameleaf sumac and more (plate). Can't wait for spring to see what happens! Even if just a few germinate, that'll be GREAT! 
 

Those crazy fritillary moms

I wouldn't have believed it unless I'd actually SEEN when and how it happened. I was outside awhile ago, working in the back yard, when I noticed some Gulf fritillary kids on bare passionflower vines. Previous brood had gobbled up the leaves! So I carefully moved several to vines that had plenty of chow. Right when I was depositing one, a Gulf fritillary mom fluttered up, landed on a leaf and stuck her rear up in the air. Huh? 

Then I did a double take!!

She laid an egg on a STRAND OF SPIDER SILK! 

I had to go get my camera because who in their right mind would ever believe me if I told them what I'd observed! See for yourself!

That Gulf fritillary mom is right up there with the one that two years ago laid an egg on our chain-link fence. I blogged about that one, too:  "This butterfly needs glasses."

And now I have a little dilemma. Do I move the egg or just leave it be?

Now THAT's a BIG caterpillar!

We were in the front yard a few days ago, and I leaned over the lemon verbena for a closer look. Something black had caught me eye. Part of a leaf? NOOOO! Eek! It was a big fat chubby hornworm! (The thing startled me at first, I confess.) I laughed and called for James to come see. We found a second one, too, munching away on the leaves.

Actually, I believe they're rustic sphinxes (Manduca rustica). I checked on them another day or two. Then they disappeared. That's because this species burrows underground to pupate.

Fragrant mistflower magic

The butterfly activity on our fragrant mistflowers is amazing right now but more so on one in the back yard. This isn't a great video, but maybe you can get a sense of what it looks like right now!

Butterfly and moth sightings confirmed

Now and then, I submit images to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Lost Ladybug Project and Butterflies and Moths of North America. 

Earlier this month, I sent three sightings from our Wildscape to the Butterflies and Moths for confirmation. A regional coordinator verified my submissions, and all three have been added to the Blanco County species list: 

* White-lined sphinx 

* Common mestra

* Carmenta armasata

Caterpillar? Not!

Earlier this month, I spotted what I thought were caterpillars on the seedpods of my climbing snapdragon vine. When I'd touch one, it'd snap up, then drop back into position. Perplexed, I shot some photos and submitted them to Bugguide.net. What species of caterpillar were they, I asked.

"Could be among the plume moths," John commented. 

Then it dawned on me!

I was seeing COCOONS, not caterpillars!

Cocoon of a moth in the superfamily Pterophoroidea

Strange behavior of snapping up when touched....

Not a great shot but another "snapper."

Later, I shot some more photos of cocoons...

They're very well camouflaged against the seedhead's green.

I also photographed some climbing snapdragon seeds. They're COOL.