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Grazing North Texas — Dotted Blue-eyed Grass
By Tony Dean
Dotted blue-eyed grass is a native perennial that is really not a grass at all, but a forb and a member of the iris family.
When I found this plant in central Clay County, I was struck by the brilliant blue color and the simple beauty of the delicate flowers. The flowers seem almost shy. They open in morning hours then fold up at night and during overcast days.
Blue-eyed grass grows mostly upright and can be up to 12 inches tall. Flowers can be slightly larger than one inch in diameter. The flowers appear to have six petals, but in reality have three petals and three sepals (leaves that look like petals).
Dotted blue-eyed grass produces flowers from March through May in North Texas. You may have noticed it this spring in the country side. When the blooms are not visible, the slender narrow leaves blend in with surrounding grasses, and it looks like just another grazing plant.
To read more pick up a copy of the June 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
One of my professors out at Texas Tech University always told us that we aren’t just raising cattle, we’re raising grass, because without grass there is no cattle business. The same applies to most livestock species and crops we seek to raise- without good land management, no good yield can grow.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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