This mountain laurel, Sophora secundiflora, is in one of our plots at Wild Basin. We originally identified this plant using a dichotomous key of common woody species in Texas. The dark waxy leaves may resemble leaves of a sumac but the stems are very different. 
The mountain laurel is slow growing and difficult to prorate, but once it matures it will produce pendulous purple flowers.
See INaturalist post here
I learned a few years ago about the importance of planting milkweed species for Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), especially in Texas. I have two on my apartment patio, and recently they have been home to several monarch larva, or caterpillars. Monarchs are dependent on milkweed plants, which larvae eat nearly exclusively.
The entire larval stage in monarchs lasts from nine to fourteen days under normal summer temperatures. This little guy pictured below will emerge as a beautifully colored, black-orange-and-white adult.
They migrate to overwintering grounds, either in central Mexico for eastern monarchs or in California for western monarchs. Here they spend the winter clustered in trees until weather and temperature conditions allow them to return to their breeding grounds. North American monarchs are the only butterflies that make such a massive journey—up to 3,000 miles.
Many scientists are concerned about the eastern population of monarchs, which summer east of the Rocky Mountains. This group is occurring in ever smaller numbers, and its survival may be threatened by a series of natural disasters in the Mexican wintering grounds, as well as by reduced acreage of milkweed plants in their summer home.
Find my iNaturalist post here.
Source: http://monarchlab.org/biology-and-research/biology-and-natural-history/breeding-life-cycle/life-cycle/#larva
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/monarch-butterfly/
While walking along the path to Hamilton pool, the American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is definitely one of the standout plants. The edible berries are bright purple and quite large, which makes for a nice contrast to the surrounding greenery. The American beautyberry is a fast growing native perennial shrub that can grow 5-8 feet tall. The leaves are oppositely arranged with wooly-like hairs on their underside. This shrub is distributed throughout the southeastern United States from Texas and Oklahoma all the way to Maryland. It is commonly found in woody areas with moist soils. It is considered a pioneer species and is characteristic of the mid-stages of succession.
In late spring to early summer, American beautyberry flowers of purple or pink appear in clusters on the stem and quickly become white/pink berries. In late summer to early fall, the berries deepen in color and reach full ripeness. They can be eaten raw, or can be used to make jelly and wine. Mosquito repellent properties have also been found in the leaves, making this plant the most versatile and beneficial of all my biodiversity observations. Next time I come across it, I will definitely grab some berries and attempt to make American beautyberry wine!
My iNaturalist post can be found here.
References
https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_caam2.pdf
http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/09/beautyberry.html
Little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, is a native perennial bunchgrass that is found commonly in prairies. It is commonly found throughout the U.S. and Mexico. It grows up to 24 inches in height and each clump up to a foot in diameter. It has slender blue-green stems that turn reddish in the fall and cotton-tufted seeds that disperse in the winter. Bluestem provides food for birds and small mammals.
My iNaturalist post can be found here.
Source: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SCSC
Did you know that the goldenrod, genus Solidago, is edible? This plant is not only edible but is also well known for its healing properties (Edible Wild Food). All aerial parts of the plant can be eaten (Edible Wild Food). One website recommends using the flowers as a garnish on a salad and cooking the leaves like spinach (Edible Wild Food). Other uses include using the flowers and leaves to make a bitter tea (Edible Wild Food).
Goldenrod’s medicinal properties include chemicals that increase urine flow and have anti-inflammatory effects (WebMD). It is used to treat gout, joint pain, arthritis eczema and other skin conditions (WebMD). It is also sometimes used to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, hay fever and asthma (WebMD).
iNaturalist observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4299614
References
http://www.ediblewildfood.com/goldenrod.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-84-goldenrod.aspx?activeingredientid=84&activeingredientname=goldenrod
Also known as Mexican Hat, Ratibida columnifera is a Texas-native wildflower. It’s natural range in the United States includes central-eastern states, and has become naturalized in 36 out of the 48 contiguous states of the United States due to its aggressive proliferation method and indifference to more taxing environmental parameters (i.e. drought, soil type, etc.). It is a drought tolerant plant that withstands competition and has been known to push weaker, less-competitive plants out of an area. Mexican Hat is a fast growing wildflower that is not fussy about soils and is easy to grow from seed. Bees and other pollinators like this wildflower and its foliage gives off an odor that repels deer.
This plant’s medicinal uses include: tea from leaves and stalks used for stomach aches, tea from flower used for headaches, and boiled leaves and stems used to soothe snakebites and poison ivy rashes. iNaturalist post here.
Source for Mexican hat info.
This pretty purple plant is called Purple Heart, Purple Queen, or Wandering Jew. There are several kinds of Wandering Jew plants, Tradescantia genus, and this plant is specifically called Purple Heart (or Purple Queen): Tradescantia pallida.
This plant is native to Eastern Mexico and do really well in frost-free climate. Those pretty flowers are actually invasive plants. To be put in garden, the plant requires lot of maintenance to control the plant without having it taking over entire garden. This is partially reason why this plant is better off as household plant, or planted in the pot instead in the garden.
But do be careful when having this plant in the house with pets. Purple Heart is toxic to dogs and cats and can cause allergic dermatitis (rash).
My iNaturalist observation can be found here.
While walking my dog this afternoon, I noticed some new neighbors had just planted juvenile Texas Palm trees also name as Mexican Palmetto or Sabal Mexicana. I’m not sure how old these are but considering palms can grow up to 60 feet in height shows the youth of the one pictured below. There are over 2,500 species of palm trees but this kind is only really found (natively) between South and Central Texas, Mexico, and the along the Gulf Coast. It is often a common choice for a landscape plant because it has a high tolerance for cold and salt spray.
iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4271463
This week I took greater notice of something I see nearly every day — the patch of bamboo at the dog park. I think it’s grown there simply to provide variety to the areas for the dogs to explore, but not until moving to the south had I ever seen it also grown in many people’s yards and gardens. According to Feng Shui principles, bamboo at the front of the house ensures long lives of those in the household. Bamboos (Bambusoideae) encompass 1,439 species, and it is the fastest growing plant on the planet. Everyone knows about bamboo’s importance to pandas, but bamboo has a lot of cultural significance as well: Hindu flags are flown on bamboo flagpoles; bamboo paper is used to make ‘spirit money’ (money burnt in offering to those in the afterlife) among some Chinese communities, and the first ever gunpowder-based weapons were crafted from bamboo. Bamboo is present in mythology and folklore across numerous cultures, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, and Hawaii.
A crimson patch butterfly (Chlosyne janais) was spotted at Krause Springs in the butterfly garden. These butterflies range from the tropics to Texas. They’re pretty but literally the most fascinating facts I can find about them are that their chrysalis can range in color from white to gray to clear and the populations in Texas get killed off when the weather is too cold, and when it warms up again, the Mexican population recolonizes the area. They lay their eggs on the flame acanthus plant. Although I am usually fascinated by insects, these butterflies are unfortunately not terribly interesting, which I did not know at the time of observation.
You can find my iNaturalist observation here.