Farm & Ranch
The Garden Guy — Coming into Rare and Colorful Beauty
By Norman Winter
All over the south, America’s most beautiful berry is stunning those who come across it in the wild. Those who have incorporated it into their landscape; however, are in a state of celebration. This berry is non-other than the American beautyberry, Callicarpa Americana.
In North Texas you’ll find it is native in Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, and Grayson Counties but is really not finicky on soil. Though it is native in 14 states, from Missouri, Tennessee to Virginia, Maryland and all states south from Texas to Florida, it has the common name French Mulberry. American beautyberry is an arching deciduous shrub that can reach five to eight feet in height.
Many gardeners are surprised to find it is in the verbena family. Like its other shrubby relatives, it is a pollinator magnet when in bloom. You really have to pay attention, though, to notice the intricately designed blooms as they tend to be hidden by leaves.
Amazingly, the blooms are quickly followed by hundreds of glistening berries.
The berries that catch our eye most often are those with the richest purple, a color fit for royalty. You’ll typically find them more prevalent in moist areas with richer soils of the forest floor but will work in the landscape in typical garden soils.
According to the USDA, the berries are eaten by over 40 species of birds. Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, American Robins and Eastern Towhees are a few of the notable birds you may find devouring the fruit and of even greater interest to North Texas farmers and ranchers is that it is relished by Bob White Quail.
To read more pick up a copy of the September 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
Beauty berries make wonderful companions with shrubs like the variegated Kaleidoscope abelia. (Photo by Norman Winter)
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
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 Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
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.
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