Outdoor
Grazing North Texas
By Tony Dean, [email protected]
Illinois bundleflower is a premier native forb that can be found in all parts of Texas, although it is less prevalent in the extreme western area. It is one of the “Big Four” of highly desirable native forbs that also includes Maximilian sunflower, bush sunflower and Englemann’s daisy. All of these forbs can be found in North Texas.
This perennial legume grows from a branching woody taproot, with several erect stems one to three feet tall. The fern-like leaves are up to four inches long. Flowers are white to greenish powder-puff-like globes, from one-half to one-inch in diameter. Each plant produces 30 to 50 flowers.
The fruit is a tight cluster of flat, curved seed pods, each pod being three-fourths to one and one-quarter inches long and containing two to six beans. The seed pods are green when growing then turn brown at maturity, with the mature pods splitting to drop the seeds. The seeds may remain in the cluster for many months, thus extending the wildlife food value of the plant.
Illinois bundleflower is highly desired by all classes of livestock, thus it decreases in abundance on grazing lands that are heavily grazed. Crude protein of the leaves and stems can run 17 to 20 percent during much of the early and mid-growing season. It is an important indicator of range health.
To read more, pick up a copy of the February 2024 issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Jelly Cocanougher
An array of majestic and alluring oddities are encapsulated on Route 66. The highway of mystery and amusement is a beacon for those who are curious enough. Filled with the stories of artists who have paved the way forward, the gratitude and plethora of visitors who use this area as a beacon for sentimentalism and wonder. This scenic highway holds the inspiration to iconic art, the road to Hollywood, and a glimpse into the past. Stay curious.
By Tony Dean, [email protected]
The Old World bluestems (OWBs) are a large family native to Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. Although there is strong evidence that Columbus may have inadvertently brought OWBs to the Americas, they were first officially introduced to the United States in the early 1900s. They have been widely planted in the Central and Southern Great Plains for forage production and erosion control.
The Old World family is made up of at least two species, the Yellow bluestems and Caucasian bluestem. The most common Yellow bluestem cultivars include King Ranch, Plains, Ganada, WW-Spar, and WW-Ironmaster. Caucasian has a single cultivar, WW-B Dahl bluestem. All of these cultivars are very similar and identification can usually only be made after a seedhead has developed.
Undoubtedly other species and varieties exist that have not yet been identified and categorized. For purposes of this writing, we will usually refer to them together as OWBs.
To read more, pick up a copy of the August issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
After seeing the flowers at the Young’s Plant Farm Annual Garden Tour in Auburn, Ala., I felt a sense of desperation to get my hands on the Luscious Basket Tangeglow lantana.
I don’t always think about lantana being a component plant in mixed-container designs but they had several that were simply dazzling. Luscious Basket Tangeglow is a fairly new lantana and its name gives reference to its compact nature of 12 to 26 inches in height and a spread of 12 to 24 inches. You might wonder about the differences in height and width and that is attributed to the length of the growing season.
Luscious Basket Tangeglow has done great in university trials winning Perfect Score at the University of Minnesota, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and University of Tennessee. Then it took home Directors Select at Penn State and a bunch of Top Performer awards.
To read more, pick up a copy of the August issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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