Texas thistle is a valuable Valley native By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Spring is here. I know because I saw an American robin — harbinger of spring in the Mid-west — hopping around the yard. An uncommon sight in the Valley, for sure, but an encouragement after such a feisty Valley winter. In the…

The glorious hibiscus By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Who doesn’t love the glorious hibiscus? Not many can pass by the giant blooms without a trickle of delight. More than 300 species of hibiscus grow throughout the world in warm, tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate countries. In a spectacular array of colors, shapes and sizes, pink,…

Blooms for cooler weather By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Texas lantana, Lantana urticoides, is loving the cooler January weather. It may look like it sports three colors of flowers, however, the corollas, the collective name for all the petals of a flower, open yellow and then turn orange or red. This plant loves poor,…

Two olive tree species grow in the Valley By Anita Westervelt, Rio Grande Valley Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist The Rio Grande Valley boasts two species of olive trees; one is native to Texas and the other has been adapted to our native footprint. Native wild olive, Cordia boissieri, is popular in home and public landscaping.…

The many stages of Old Man’s Beard By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist. An interesting late summer sight along city fences, fields and roadsides may seem like a fluffy mass of colorless fuzz. Something to ignore as uninteresting and messy. Don’t disregard it. If the opportunity arises, it’s a native plant worthy of closer inspection.…

Gifts of the Seasons By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Gifts come in many forms. To Texas Master Naturalists it might be a “life” bird or a surprise “first ever” sighting of an uncommon butterfly. A butterfly that’s created quite a stir recently at a couple of local nature parks is the Isabella’s Heliconian, Eueides…