Outdoor
Grazing North Texas: Erect Dayflower
By Tony Dean, [email protected]
Erect dayflower is a native warm season perennial found not only across most of Texas but also in most of the central and eastern United States.
Growth begins with several soft, smooth, brittle, and fleshy stems that grow erect then become reclining, reaching up to 36 inches in length. Leaves are fleshy and up to six inches long. Flowers are composed of two deep-blue showy petals positioned above a third smaller colorless petal.
Flowers are ephemeral, open for one day only, with new flowers opening every three to four days. Squeezing the sheath surrounding the flower petals releases a tear-like drop of liquid, giving the origin of one of the common names of this plant, widow’s tears. Erect dayflower can grow in a variety of soils. It is in the spiderwort family.
Erect dayflower is very palatable to livestock and wildlife. Forage is excellent for deer and good to excellent for antelope. Seeds are readily eaten by dove, quail and songbirds. Crude protein values are good throughout the growing season ranging from up to 20 percent in early spring down to 12 to 16 percent in fall.
To read more, pick up a copy of the January 2024 issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Jelly Cocanougher
Delicate microbes buried just beneath the surface. We walk by them, unbeknownst to us. Spores, spawn, and sclerotia, each with distinct characteristics. It is said that these fungi are all connected, speaking to one another as they populate the earth. The interconnectedness of all living things and the decaying world, such beauty lies within these otherworldly alien organisms.
By: Landon Moore
Landon Moore is the Wise County 4-H President and a member of the Wise County 4-H County Council. He is involved in beekeeping, as well as raising rabbits and poultry.
This essay was one that he wrote, and it was named the champion for both the Texas and National chapters of the Foundation For The Preservation of Honey Bees.
Varietal honey is honey that comes from a single source.
This honey has a flavor derived from the source flower and can even have a similar scent. In general, lighter colored honeys have a more subtle taste and dark honeys are more intense. Varietal honey has been compared to wine, in that honeys produced in different years can be distinguished, even if they come from the same flower and location.
This phenomenon is called terroir and is responsible for the individual taste of each honey harvest.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
Early in the summer, I was sent a press release that caused one of those holy wow moments. The headline said it all, “Proven Winners ColorChoice Expands Catalog with the Addition of Hollywood Hibiscus.”
I had already become familiar with the Hollywood Hibiscus series and was thrilled that the Proven Winners was adding this to their lineup.
This flower is nothing short of beautiful and exhibits prolific flower production. The flowers show three distinct colors, deep red in the very center, then the majority which is a rich rose pink with lighter pink to white along the margins.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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