Outdoor
Bald Cypress Reigns as King in the Swamp and Landscape
By Norman Winter, Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
A trip to Garner State Park in Texas gives the feeling of being in the rare presence of trees that surely have a story to tell. These are Bald Cypress, our Texas relatives to the Giant Sequoia. It’s really the same in San Antonio along River Walk.
The bald cypress is known botanically as Taxodium distichum, and is one of the most beautiful and yet unappreciated trees. Its native range extends much farther north than many realize. Unbelievably, the native habitat extends as for north as Delaware.
Considering the attributes, there is probably not a better all-purpose tree. The bald cypress thrives in soil that is known to be wet, which poses a hazard to almost every other quality tree. Yet on the other hand, it performs admirably on upland soils.
Many homeowners who lack patience are always in search of fast-growing trees. This is not one of the best criteria for selecting trees: longevity is. Many fast growing trees succumb to disease, insects or other environmental conditions in just a few short years.
The bald cypress, however, lives to be ancient and produces wood that is among the most durable on the planet. It is really a much faster grower than many realize. The trees normally will reach 50 to 70 feet in height and 20 to 45 feet in width. The buttressing of the trunk gives the tree a special appeal in the landscape.
To read more pick up a copy of the November 2019 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
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.
By Jelly Cocanougher
Brazen rumbles cut through the daylight stillness. Enamored by the grandiose symphony of the firmament, tinged in anticipation from where the light will snap next.
The clouds dance in the sky as a love letter to the electrically-charged synergy of the ground and air. It moves unashamed, reckless, and bold. It is raw power that could command attention for any being, a reminder that we are attuned to the primal opus of flora and fauna. The spirit of the prairie was awakened, the hands of a cowboy rests at the heart of it all, a symphony in combination.
-
Country Lifestyles1 year agoScott & Stacey Schumacher: A Growth Mindset
-
Equine7 months agoThe Will to Win
-
Country Lifestyles7 years agoStyle Your Profile – What your style cowboy hat says about you and new trends in 2017
-
Country Lifestyles4 years agoAmber Crawford, Breakaway Roper
-
HOME7 years agoGrazing North Texas – Wilman Lovegrass
-
Country Lifestyles7 years agoDecember 2016 Profile, Rusty Riddle – The Riddle Way
-
Country Lifestyles8 years agoJune 2016 Profile – The man behind the mic: Bob Tallman
-
Outdoor9 years agoButtercup or Primrose?