TX Gulf Coast Master Naturalist

Golden Crownbeard or Cow Pen Daisy Verbesina encelioides Size: 2-3 feet tall Flowers: February-December; 2 inches across, yellow Exposure: full sun Propagation: fall-or spring-sown seeds

Rocky Mountain Juniper Juniperus scopulorum Size: 35 feet Fruit: bright blue, berry-like cones on female trees Exposure: full sun Tolerance: cold hardy Propagation: stratified seeds, cuttings

Sweet Goldenrod Solidago odora Size: 1-6 feet Flowers: summer-fall; spikes of small yellow flowers Exposure: full sun, partial shade Propagation: fresh seeds, root division when dormant

Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides Size: 40-90 feet Fruit: allergenic pollen on male trees, cottony pods on female trees Exposure: full sun Tolerance: cold hardy Propagation: fresh seeds, semi-hardwood cuttings

Winecup Callirhoe involucrata Size: 1 foot high 3-foot sprawling stems Flowers: February-July; 2 inches, purple-to-red Exposure: full sun, partial shade Propagation: fall-sown seeds, rake into soil

Western Soapberry Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii Size: 15-30 feet Flowers: May-June; showy white panicles Fruit: clusters of amber berries on female tree Exposure: full sun, partial shade Tolerance: cold hardy to -10F Propagation: scarified, stratified seeds

The honey in this jar was produced by bees at work on prairie wildflowers. We naturalists tend to love native prairie plants for their good looks and useful properties. So the idea of honey made from them was a sweet thought indeed.

Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Size: 1-3 feet Flowers: May-October; 2-3 inches in diameter, yellow with brown center Exposure: full sun, partial shade Propagation: fall-or spring-sown seeds

Mexican Buckeye Ungnadia speciosa Size: 8-15 feet Flowers: March-April; small pink blossoms Fruit: three-chambered pods with black seeds Exposure: full sun partial shade Tolerance: cold hardy to 0F Propagation: fresh seeds

Giant Four-o' clock Mirabilis multiflora Size: 2 feet tall, 4 feet wide Flowers: May-September; purplish red, 1 inch across, 2 inches long Exposure: full sun Propagation: scarify seeds, stratify one month, plant in spring; soft cuttings

Retama or Jerusalem Thorn Parkinsonia aculeata Size: 20-40 feet Flowers: spring-fall; 1/2 inch, yellow, in clusters Fruit: 2 to 4 inch pods Exposure: full sun, partial shade Tolerance: young trees hardy to about 15F Propagation: seeds, semi-hardwood cuttings

Bush Morning Glory Ipomoea leptophylla Size: 2-3 feet tall, 3-5 feet wide Flowers: May-July; 3 inches in diameter, 4 inches long, lavender Exposure: full sun

Clathrus columnatus This Columned Stinkhorn Fungus is in the Phallaceae  family of fungi. Unlike gill mushrooms, which release spores into the air for distribution, these  fungi spores are within the gooey brown substance (gleba) near its top.

Mexican Plum Prunus mexicana Size: 15-25 feet Flowers: March-April; 1 inch, white Fruit: edible, 1 1/2-inch, red-to-purple plums Exposure: full sun partial shade Tolerance: cold hardy to -10 F Propagation: double-stratified seeds, cuttings

Tegenaria domesica wove funnel web near mailbox; mail carrier wary. #tdomestica #houston #spider Sunlight and #tdomestica: not a match. #houston #spider

Thompson's Yucca Yucca thompsoniana Size: 3-20 feet Flowers: spring-summer; large clusters of white flowers on tall stalks Fruit: leathery capsules 1-4 inches long Exposure: full sun Tolerance: cold hardy Propagation: fresh seeds

Laurel Cherry Prunus caroliniana Size: 15-40 feet Flowers: March-April; creamy, 1-to-2-inch clusters Fruit: black, 1-to-2-inch drupes, inedible Exposure: full sun, partial shade Tolerance: avoid hot, dry locations; cold hardy to 0F Propagation: double-stratified seeds, cuttings

Roughleaf Dogwood Cornus drummondii Size: 8-15 feet Flowers: May-August; 2-to-3 inch, clusters of white flowers Fruit: white drupes Exposure: full sun to full shade Tolerance: cold hardy Propagation: scarified, stratified seeds, softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings #nativeplants

Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea Size: 2-4 feet Flowers: April-May; 3-inch heads with purple-to-pink rays, rusty center Exposure: full sun, partial shade Propagation: seeds in spring or summer #nativetexan #nativeplants #texas #growyourown

Hermit crap galvestonislandstatepark @ Galveston Island State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife instagram.com/p/BgWiA1tAdTi/