Trees and shrubs serve many purposes – food for insects, butterflies, birds and other critters; housing for things in the form of cocoons, chrysalises and nests; and shelter for countless critters. Trees can even modify local climate, reduce air pollution, and reduce soil and wind erosion.

Something not ordinarily conceptualized is that trees and shrubs also can camouflage an ordinary fence.

The thing to remember when planting for camouflage is to plant trees and bushes too close to the fence.

I didn’t originate this plan, but have accidentally continued the tradition.

This gorgeous anacua, Ehretia anacua, guards (camouflages) the gate to the fire lane at the side of our property adjacent to a farmer’s field.

The anacua came with the property. Since I don’t think someone planted a shrub and built a fence through the center of it, I suspect the fence was built and nature had a hand in artfully arranging the tree to semi-hide the gate.

Anacua is the tree with the leaves that feel like sandpaper when you rub them.

If it hadn’t already been here, anacua would have been one of the first additions to our plan to cultivate wildlife using native flora. The blooms attract bees, butterflies and other insects. The berries feed birds and the canopy is great for nests.

I was on the mower, headed to the fire lane when I rounded a corner and the sweet-smelling air got my attention. I looked up to see the anacua in full bloom, obviously from the hefty September rain a couple of weeks back.

 

 

I jumped off the mower and stuck my face in the canopy of sweet, gentle fragrance, the multitude of bees going about their business completely ignoring me.

In another example of accidentally disguising the fence, a couple of years ago the farmer ran a back-hoe ripping out the row of scrub trees, guinea grass and vines — both native and invasive — that separated our house from his field. Some of our windows were then left bare to the elements – especially dust.

We decided to grow our own dust break and chose, after careful research, Berlandier’s Fiddlewood, Citharexylum berlandieri. We planted four at a projected-adult-branch-length distance from the house, which ended up to be about 10 inches from the fence.

Although the new shrubs were planted too close to the fence, the branches ignored the fencing and poked right through. This week, the three largest bushes are laden with berries. The smallest bush at the left of the photo is still in the bloom stage.

I like plant that either attract butterflies with nectar or provide food for birds. Best are those plants that do both as in the anacua and fiddlewood.

We didn’t go wrong with our fiddlewood. There’s a continual chorus of different birds throughout the day from chachalacas, to mocking birds, greenjays and tiny things I can’t see in the dense foliage.

Butterflies and other pollinators alight on both blooms and berries. Fiddlewood has become an excellent dust break with the unintentional bonus of camouflaging an uninteresting but functional fence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s October already and time to start thinking about planting trees and shrubs. November through February is the optimal time to plant in the Valley, especially trees.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has an excellent booklet, Tree Guide for the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. If you don’t have a copy, it can be found at the following link:

http://willacy.agrilife.org/files/2011/11/04_TreeGuideEngish.pdf

Consider native plants that will bring beneficial insects to your habitat and at the same time, sustain birds and butterflies. A few examples listed in the booklet that do well in the Valley are:

Fiddlewood – Birds

Chapote – Birds

Guayacan – Birds/Butterflies

Mulberry Tree – Birds

Wild Olive – Butterflies/Hummingbirds

Barbados Cherry – Birds/Butterflies