Author: mmendoza

This flower was actually pretty difficult for me to identify, because of all the look a likes. I am still not 100% certain this is the correct identification, but time on iNaturalist will tell. As far as I know, this is Camellia sasanqua and it is native to China and Japan, but found frequently in the south, here in the United States. It is an evergreen shrub and is sought out for its flowers. They range from 1.5 to 12 ft tall and can tolerate many different soil types.

my iNaturalist post can be found here.

I came across this plant a couple weeks ago and I noticed it because it’s flower stood out to me. Scientific name is Ruellia simplex and it looks like a normal common garden flower, but it can actually be a very aggressive invasive plant species, so aggressive, it is banned in some states. They are able to tolerate a wide range of conditions, surviving in both wetland and desert conditions. They are native to Mexico and the southwest region of the United States. The invasive form of this plant can be difficult to remove because of it’s large horizontal roots that grow above and below the ground and the worst part about this invasive plant is that the seeds form a mucous like gel when they get wet allowing them to stick to the soil like glue. However, developers have made different versions of this plant that are more responsible for gardens to grow.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

This past Friday, my research group went out to Wild Basin to set out some more of our iButtons. We had to go off trail to get to Grid points 2, 5, & 8 and while on our way to the first grid point we heard something moving and making its way to us through the landscape. Meagen and I were scared it was a snake, but it turned out to be the Greater Roadrunner! They are a pretty fascinating species from what I have read. They have a very distinctive shape with long legs, a long neck and a long straight tail. Their body structure is what gives them their speed, leaning over parallel to the ground. They can easily out run any human but are weak fliers. They are found in hot shrubby regions and range from Southwestern United States to Mexico. They hunt lizards, small mammals and birds, but have been known to kill rattlesnakes. They kind of blend into the background of the pictures but it was an awesome observation!

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

This is the Io moth caterpillar, I discovered it this weekend in Mart, TX while visiting family. My boyfriend doing some yard work for his grandparents this weekend and while climbing a ladder, his hand smashed one of these guys and his hand stung quite a bit. His grandmother said they are new to Mart this year and have been on the news because of that and their peculiar sting. They are native to North America and are part of the Saturniidae family. The spikes that cover it are connected to poison glands. The sensation is similar to a bee or wasp sting and the pain can last several hours. To treat this sting, you place tape over the affected area and strip off over and over, to remove the spines and poison. Adults have a wing span of about two to three inches, with females being a dark brown-purple color and males a distinct yellow color.

my iNaturalist post can be found here.

I found this guy over the weekend in Canyon Lake at a wedding I was attending. They were everywhere. I think it was an infestation of some kind, but it has been very difficult trying to identify this little guy. If anyone has any insight into what this worm/caterpillar might be, let me know! I’m very curious.

my iNaturalist post can be found here.

Allamanda is a flowering plant that belongs to the dogbane family. They are native to America and are specifically abundant in Mexico and Argentina. They are easy to grow and are very heat tolerant with a long season bloom. Most are yellow, as shown in the picture, but some bloom a pink color. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds and are resistant to deer and rabbits.

my iNaturalist post can be found here.

There a quite a few agave plants that look similar to this one, but I believe this succulent is Agave salmiana ferox. I love the common name of this plant, the Green Goblet; It’s perfect for the start of October because it sounds “Halloween-y” to me and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It grows to be about 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide and originated in Mexico. It is a very adaptable plant, doing well in both sun and shade. It is also heat and drought tolerant. It is becoming an increasingly popular plant to use in landscaping because of these factors. Its leaves are lined with large spines and flowers in early to mid summer, a yellow cup shaped flower that rises above the foliage. I actually first saw this plant at my grandma’s home in Mexico, she had a few in her courtyard. This has always been one of my favorite plants, and I’ve gone through quite a few of the miniature versions. Its supposed to be one of the easiest plants to keep alive, but for whatever reason, I can’t!

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

This pretty plant is called Turkscap and its scientific name is Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii. The name, Turkscap, comes from the appearance of it’s flower, resembling a Turkish hat called a fez. It is native to the southeastern region of the United States. It’s flowers do not fully open and attract butterflies and hummingbirds! I actually frequently see hummingbirds here while taking my dog out, and my next blog post might be about that, if I can snap a picture of one fast enough! I found it eye-catching because of it’s tall, single-standing appearance. This plant usually stays between 2-3 ft, however they have been known to reach 9 ft. It does well in shaded areas and prefers moist soils but will tolerate droughts.

My iNaturalist post can be found here

Copper Canyon Daisy is a plant I came across this weekend while visiting my boyfriend at work. He is a foreman for high end landscaping company and knows a lot about plants. This one is one of his favorites because of it’s sweet smell. It is part of the Asteraceae family and its scientific name is Compositae Tagetes Iemonii. It is native to the Arizona/New Mexico region, but does very well with Texas native plants because of its tolerance to drought-like conditions. It grows into perennial shrub and is known to attract butterflies!

My iNaturalist post can be found here

I’ve seen this plant in many places and recently noticed it all around my apartment complex when taking my dog, Franklin, on his daily walks. It has a grass-like look to it, however, it actually belongs to the lily family. It is native to the Australia-New Zealand region and was named and classified by french botanist, Jean Baptist Lamarck. It is commonly used near pools, in garden beds and can act as a border. It blooms in the summer and does well in sunny or shaded areas. According to my research, it does have small flowers that appear in the spring, however, I have never seen this plant flower. An interesting fact, it was used as a medicine for colds by the aboriginal tribe, Nagarrindjeri, of Tasmania by chewing its roots. This is actually something I could use right now, after coming down with a cold over the weekend. If I get really desperate, I’ll give it a try!