This image shows the tiny flower of the Red Stem Stork’s Bill, Erodium cicutarium. It is a non-native wildflower that is found throughout most of the US. It belongs to the Geranium family, Geraniaceae; and along with henbit, it makes pink flowers early in the spring before the grass gets going.  You can see in this picture the reddish flower stems and the hairiness of this plant’s stems and leaves. Two of the three flowers visible have set seed and dropped their petals.

In this image, you can see the seed pods produced by the flowers. From the length and shape of the pod, you can see why some folks called these Stork’s Bill, or Pin Clover.

Many folks call these guys weeds and spend lots of money to rid their lawn of them.  I let them do their thing because they provide some color in an otherwise bland part of the year, and they feed the bugs and butterflies that are becoming active at this time. That said, they can become fairly large plants and can become  problematic when in large numbers. I control mine with therapeutic mowing; that way,  I get to enjoy their color, the nectar feeders get fed, and their remains become mulch for the grass. Everybody wins.

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Spearmint (Mentha spicata), a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint family, is a plant that mankind has cultivated for thousands of years for its fragrance and medicinal qualities. The plants pictured here were a backyard experiment intended to give my daughter some experience with gardening and the enjoyment of fresh, home grown spices.

Notice the square stem visible in the picture above. This is a characteristic of all the mints.

Caution with Spearmint is required because they readily spread by rhizomes and can spread beyond where you want them. Consequently, most gardeners confine them to containers to prevent their invasion and takeover of the garden.

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Prairie Sandbur, Krameria lanceolata, are members of the Ratany family (Krameriaceae). Prairie Sandbur grows along the ground and the leaves and stems of this plant are covered in white hairs as seen here. These native perennials bloom from April to October and prefer environments that shade them partially from the sun.

The five deep pinkish red “petals” are really sepals, the portion of flowers that usually enfolds the bud and forms the base for the petals and other flower parts. The true petals are uppermost in the center of the flowers and very small. Those pictured here have a light green basal portion to them. The fruit of these flowers is spiny and covered in wool. They are no relation to the grass-bur so commonly encountered in Texas. I think these flowers resemble tiny turkeys and that is the image I use to help me remember them.

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Pictured here is Mimosa strigillosa which is a member of the Pea and Bean family (Fabaceae). Powderpuff is the common name most folks remember because the pretty pink blossoms look like a ball of fluff. In this picture, you can see various stages of the Powderpuff flower from the youngest in the bottom left to the oldest, top right. Also, this specimen has recently been rained on; so like anything frilly, water can ruin the image by clumping things together. In the bottom of the photograph just right of center, a nymphal stage of a Katydid is visible.

Powderpuffs are relatives of the mimosa and their compound leaves resemble those found on trees like Mimosa and Mesquite. Powderpuffs are sometimes called sensitive briar because the leaflets will fold together if you rub their surface. Beware, because their other name is Catsclaw and you can see the recurved thorns along the stems that will tear your flesh if you are not careful.

The second picture shows a drier portion of the same plant and a selection of flowers in various stages of  their lifecycle. Powderpuffs are perennial plants that stay green all year. Their compound leaves are bipinnate which means they have two leaflets at the tip of the leaf instead of one. These drought tolerant plants flower from March to August and will produce ground hugging stems that can be an annoyance because of the thorns. But, they make good ground cover for dry sandy areas and are low maintenance.

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Liatris mucronata blooms between August and December. It grows about two and a half feet tall in prairie or open woodlands. It will tolerate sandy or gravely clay or limestone soils, and it is found throughout Texas.

Normally, Asteraceae flowers have central disk flowers and ray flowers arranged about the perimeter of the disk. The petals of the ray flowers are the colorful, distinctive portions of the flowers in the sunflower family.

Narrowleaf Gayfeather is different from its sunflower-like cousins because it produces no ray flowers and only 3-6 disk flowers per flower head. Furthermore, Gayfeather produces its distinctive purple flower heads in a cluster or spike at the end of a long stem.

In addition, the flower heads mature at the top of the spike before the lower ones. This can be seen in the closeup of the flower spike above. Notice near the top of the spike, you can see withered flowers projecting from the green stem that joins the compound flower to the spike. You can also see a single floret with four petals open near the top, right of center. The long pink tube extending from the center is the top of the pistil, the female portion of the floret.

The flower spike of Gayfeather is reminiscent of the feather plumes used to decorate hats once upon a time; hence the name, Gayfeather. Personally, I think they look like a bottle brush. Their hot pink florets, tall flower spike, and narrow straight edged leaves are the characters that distinguish these plants from other wildflowers. They appear late in the year when everything else has gone brown and add vibrant color to an otherwise dull landscape.

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The tree pictured is Cercis candensis, the Eastern Redbud.
In early spring when it is still cold enough for frosts, you will find these hot pink flowers on leafless, or nearly so, shrubby, greyish, smooth-barked trees. These trees favor stream sides or wooded bottom lands and produce seed pods in the fall that are fed upon by numerous bird species. This is a woody member of the Fabaceae or pea and bean family, and it is found throughout central and eastern Texas. Redbuds stick out like sore thumbs in woodlands where everything is leafless and gray. The burst of hot pink color lets everyone know that Spring is here.

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The Coastal Indigo (Indigofera miniata) is a member of the Pea Family, Fabaceae. It is edible by deer and livestock. Its salmon pink flowers are borne on a spike or raceme. The alternate pinnately compound leaves have 5 to 9 leaflets. Its 5 petaled blooms can be seen all spring and summer. In sandy soils and sunny locations in grasslands and open woodlands are where you will find this species. Note that the color of the five petaled flower can be deeper, more reddish, than the specimen pictured here. Scarlet Pea is another name used for this species.

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