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Tree & Shrub Gallery

Miscellaneous Shrubs #1

                 

Solanaceae - Nightshade Family
Berlandier's Wolfberry (Desert-thorn) Lycium berlandieri
Tubular flowers are lavender-blue or white, 4-5 lobed, 3/8" long. They can bloom at any time except hard winter. Some of the stamens protrudes beyond petals (pin flowers), some do not (thrum flowers). This is a means to reduce self pollination. Fruit is a small red berry, 3/16" diameter. This plant sheds its leaves with the first heat (April) and regrow them in the fall (September). 2-5 spatula-shaped leaves grow from each node. Leaves 3/8"-1 1/4" long. Spiny shrub reaching, 7 feet tall, prefers drained sandy loams. Fruit are eaten by many animals and deer and livestock eat the leaves.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, October 2006, July 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Coke, Nolan)

  

Oleaceae - Olive family
Elbow Bush (Stretchberry, Desert Olive) Forestiera pubescens (Forestiera neomexicana)
Male and female flowers are on different bushes and bloom in late winter before the leaves emerge, bloom profusely at last years leaf axils. Male flowers (late winter), small yellow-green starburst, many stamens, fuzz ball, at nodes. (no photo) Female flowers (late winter) bright green, single direction fuzz ball; many pistils surrounded by non-functioning stamens, at nodes. (no photo) Elongated egg-shaped berries, green turning blue-black, 1/4" long, grow in clusters on stems, eaten by many animals. Ovate leaves 1"-2" long, sparsely to densely hairy, very short petioles (stem). This is a bushy tree that grows to 15 feet tall. Bark is smooth with small bumps. Branches droop and become thickets. Twigs grow opposite and at nearly 90 degree angles to branches. Likes moist desert environments.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Brown, Runnels, Coke)

Similar Species

Texas Swampriviet (Narrowleaf Forestiera) Forestiera angustifolia
Very narrow, small leaves, 3/4" long. Elongated purple berry. Bush grows to about 8 feet tall.
(Native of Texas, rare, south & west - Coke)

           

Rubiaceae - Madder or Coffee family
Common Button-bush Cephalanthus occidentalis
Bush grows to about 18 feet tall. Grows near water. Flower cluster about 1" wide on long peduncle, white then red. Several flower balls grow from the same node at the ends of branches. This variation has long lanceolate leaves. Round reddish 1/4" wide cluster of nutlets are the seeds. They are eaten by many birds especially water birds. Flowers make good honey.
Photos taken in Coleman County, Texas, July 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Coleman, Brown, Runnels, Coke)

     

Verbenaceae - Vervain family
Whitebrush (Bee-bush) Aloysia gratissima (Lippia lycioides)
Bush shown is 6 feet tall. It has very long limbs being weighted down by loose flower clusters, 3" long. White with yellow centers, vanilla scent. Bush can grow into impassable thickets. Nectar is good for honey. Cows and deer will eat leaves in drought, but they are poisonous to horses.
Photos taken in Coleman County, Texas, May 2004
(Native of Texas - Coleman, Brown, Coke)