Outdoor
Grazing North Texas: Purpletop Tridens
By Tony Dean | [email protected]
Purpletop tridens is a native, perennial, warm season bunchgrass that is found across all of Texas except the extreme western areas. It grows in most of the U.S. from the central plains to the East coast. Purple top is easily recognizable once it blooms due to the deep purple color of the seed head. It can grow from three to five feet tall with leaves up to two feet long that are rough to the touch on the leaf margin.
The purple seed head is open, pyramidal shaped, and up to 15 inches long. After maturity, the seed head gives off an oily residue, giving the plant a common name of greasegrass. It is also sometimes called redtop. Purpletop is good grazing for livestock when it first greens up, but becomes less palatable as it matures during summer months. After frost, livestock again prefer to graze Purpletop tridens.
To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Jelly Cocanougher
What an extraordinary end to the Wise County Youth Fair – a fantastic opportunity for the Heart of a Champion participants to show. From rabbits to lambs, to pigs to dogs – we’ve seen it all. Through this unique event, the Heart of a Champion Livestock show aimed to promote confidence, friendship, and a sense of accomplishment within our amazing community. Everyone worked tirelessly to create an environment that fosters growth, camaraderie, and a shared passion for agriculture. Until next year!
By Tony Dean, [email protected]
If moisture is adequate, there are several winter annual grasses that dominate the landscape during early spring in Texas. One of the most common is Rescuegrass.
This winter annual is native to South America but grows over much of the United States and can be found in all ecoregions of Texas. Rescuegrass is easily recognized by its flat seed head.
Numerous seed heads produce seed that is transported by animals and can quickly spread to other areas.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
The National Garden Bureau has designated 2024 as the ‘Year of the Angelonia’ and I am in full celebration mode. As I was preparing for my contribution to the celebration, I was, however, sent into taxonomic trauma.
For the last 26 years of deep love for the Angelonia, or summer snapdragon, I have told everyone via newspaper, radio and television that they were in the Scrophulariaceae family. Since most gardeners don’t like those words, I modified or simplified the snapdragon family, but somebody has tinkered with green industry happiness and moved Angelonia to the Plantaginaceae or plantain family. I immediately reached out to my friend Dr. Allen Ownings, Horticulture Professor Emeritus with the Louisiana State University AgCenter. I said, “Did you know this, or better yet, did you do it?” He said, as I expected, that the Taxonomist group had done it. This reminded me that someone once said taxonomists have to eat, too.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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