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Information
Center -
Featured Trees
| Tree
Name |
Date
Posted |
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| Famous
Trees of Austin |
(12-02)
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Red
Oak
Genus: Quercus
Family: Fagaceae (Beech) |
(09-02)
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Pecan
Genus: Carya illinoensis
Family: Juglandaceae (Walnut) |
(09-02)
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Live
Oak
Genus: Quercus virginiana
Family: Fagaceae (Beech) |
(09-02)
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Ashe
Juniper
Genus: Juniperus ashei
Family:
Fagaceae (Beech) |
(09-02)
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Famous
Trees of Austin
Tree Clinic Quarterly, July, 2002
By Jerry Pulley
In
our office library we have this wonderful book called Famous
Trees of Texas published by the Texas Forest Service. The
book’s preface states:
“The
purpose of this book is to memorialize those trees which have
been a witness to some of the exciting periods and events in Texas’
frontier history.”…Many of Texas’ historic trees are forever lost.
Inadequate records of their location, death by disease or neglect,
and man’s thoughtless removal of those that stood in the way of
progress have taken their toll.”
TOP
Red
Oak
Tree Clinic Quarterly, 4th Qtr.2001
By Jim Houser
Genus:
Quercus
Family: Fagaceae (Beech)
 Red
oaks produce some of the most colorful autumn foliage in Texas.
They are a major component of most ecoregions in Texas and thus,
when conditions are right, they paint the landscape with colors
of red, yellow, burnt orange, and brown.
The
oak genus, Quercus, has been classified in the beech family Fagaceae,
mainly to satisfy our human need to  bring
hierarchial order to the universe. All oaks are then split into
two groups, white oaks and red oaks (also sometimes called the
black oaks). Live oaks do not fall neatly into either group, since
they show characteristics of both.
Red
oaks generally have lobed leaves with relatively soft bristles
(aristae) on their tips. Acorns are shed each year, but each crop
takes two years to mature. The first year, they appear as little
scaly buds on the twigs, The acorns are high in tannic acid and
the acorn cup has dense hairs or fuzz inside. Dormant buds are
usually sharp pointed.
Texas
has 15 species of red oaks, with two species frequently found
in central Texas and the Edward's Plateau: Spanish Oak and Shumard
Oak. Another species, Blackjack Oak, frequently occurs along with
Post Oaks (a white oak species) and contributes to the tree cover
of the Post Oak Savannah region, east of Austin.
Spanish
Oak (Quercus Shumardii var. texana) is also known as Texas Oak
(Quercus texana or Quercus buckleyi). It occurs on limestone hills
and ridges in and around Austin on the Edward's Plateau west to
the Pecos River. It is a small to medium sized tree, often multi-trunked
due to the tree's tendency to sprout new stems from the base.
Spanish Oak provides the major fall color display in the hill
country, causing bands of bright scarlet and orange to adorn the
hillsides.
Shumard
Oak (Quercus shumardii) is a large tree, growing up to 100 ft.
tall with an open, spreading crown and a clear, symmetrical trunk.
It is found scattered in moist woods and near streams in the eastern
third of Texas. Like the Spanish Oak, it is adapted to our high
pH (alkaline) soils and grows well in the Austin area. In the
deeper soils in Austin, it attains its greatest growth and can
be a magnificent tree.
Care
should be exercised when purchasing a red oak or having one planted.
Frequently, red oaks such as pin oak, turkey oak, or nuttal oak
are obtained and they do not grown well in our alkaline soils.
Many red oaks planted on commercial sites which are chlorotic
(yellowish) and not growing well are species adapted to more acidic
soil conditions. Red oaks planted along Congress Avenue in the
1980s were of the same family group and finally pulled out and
replaced. Planting a tree often involves a considerable investment
of time and money, so it makes sense to be sure that the red oak
you plant on your property is one that is adapted to our area's
growth conditions.
Red
oaks produce some of the most colorful autumn foliage in Texas.
They are a major component of most ecorgions in Texas and thus,
when conditions are right, they paint the landscape with colors
or red, yellow, burnt orange, and brown.
TOP
Pecan
Tree Clinic Quarterly, 3rd Qtr. 2001
By Libby Pulley
Pecan, Carya
illinoensis
Family: Juglandaceae (Walnut)
Etymology: Carya, the genus name, is derived from the Greek word
root cary-, which means, "nut". The species name, illinoensis,
refers to the state of Illinois, the tree at one time having been
called Illinois Nut. "Pecan" is an Algonquian Indian
word, formerly paccan.
There's a
window in front of my office desk that overlooks the front lawn
of Allen Elementary School. It always brings pleasure to my day
to look out of that window to see the beautiful stand of pecan
trees that graces the front lawn of the school. The trees look
to be 20-30 years old. I wonder if children planted the trees.
I admire the full and perfectly shaped canopies, and the inviting
shade produced on hot summer afternoons. In the fall, I enjoy
watching the folks who show up, bag in hand, in hopes of finding
enough nuts for a pie.
Pecan trees,
native to Texas and other states in the southeast central United
States are especially appreciated for the shade they provide and
the delicious nuts they bear, They grow well in deep, rich soils
associated with streams and river bottoms, but are widely planted
outside their natural range.
Pecans were
an important food to native peoples of northern Mexico and Texas.
It is thought that trees growing in the north Texas county of
Hardeman were planted by Comanche Indians, because a group of
trees exist just south of their burial grounds.
Hernando DeSoto
is said to have eaten pecans in what is now Arkansas and Mississippi
during his famous expeditions in search of gold in the mid 1500s.
Much later, pecans were traded by trappers in the eastern United
States. This facilitated the spread of the tree range, and today
over 100 varieties of pecans have been developed, many in Texas.
The nut is an important crop throughout the south, California,
and Oregon. At one time the trees were so plentiful in Texas that
they were cut down just to harvest a single crop of pecans. What
an unfortunate waste of trees.
Male and female
flowers are on the same tree, so self-pollination or cross-pollination
may occur. Hybrid varieties of nuts offer superior taste, size,
texture, and other qualities. Each has a name, and pecan growers
and other folks have their favorites. Nuts ripen in the fall in
clusters of three to eleven. They fall out of their bright green
and aromatic husks starting in September. The rich, nutritious
pecans are a treat to many animals including humans, squirrels,
a number of bird species, opossums, and raccoons.
Where I live
near Bastrop, along the Colorado River, there are several pecan
trees growing in the rich riparian soil. One is estimated to be
200-300 years old. Several varieties of large and small hybrid
nuts keep numerous wild animals on our property fat and happy.
Feral hogs leave the ground directly under the tree canopies plowed
where they rooted up and inhaled the small, but tasty pecans.
People use
parts of the tree other than the seed. Leaves and bark have been
used medicinally as an astringent. It is rumored that the high
tannic acid content of the leaves inhibits the growth of some
plants beneath the trees. Pecan wood is not important commercially,
but occasionally used for furniture, flooring and paneling, agricultural
implements, and fuel, and of course, to smoke foods.
Pecan is the
state tree of Texas. The adoption of this particular tree by the
1919 Texas State Legislature probably has to do with the influence
of a deathbed request from Governor James Stephen Hogg. Hogg is
reported to have said to his lawyer and his daughter as he lay
dying:
"Let
my children plant at the head of my grave a pecan tree and at
my feet an old-fashioned walnut tree; and when the trees bear,
let the pecans and walnuts be given out among the plain people
so they may plant them and make Texas a land of trees."
Hogg's wishes
were indeed carried out. Two pecan trees were planted at the head
of his grave, which is in Oaklawn Cemetery in central Austin,
and a walnut tree at the foot of his grave. When the trees bore
their first crop, Texas A&M University Horticulture Department
gathered and distributed the nuts to individuals, schools, and
other organizations throughout the state.
For the last
three years, pecan production has been down, due to drought stress
and reduced carbohydrate reserves. This year, however, pecan trees
seem to be loaded heavily, so we look forward to a bountiful pecan
harvest in fall of 2001.
References:
Famous Trees of Texas Assembled and Edited by John A. Haisler,
Texas Forest Service Publication, 3rd Edition, 1984
Trees of East Texas Robert A. Vines, University of texas Press,
Austin and London, 1977
Arbor Day National Arbor Day Foundation, November/December, 1992
Texas Trees: A Friendly Guide Paul W. Cox and Patty Leslie, Corona
Publishing Co., San Antonio, Tx 1988
Woody Plants of Austin and the Hill Country Brother Daniel Lynch,
Austin, Tx St. Edward's University, 1981
A Field Guide to Texas Trees Benny J. Simpson, Gulf Publishing
Co., Houston, Tx. 1998 (Texas Monthly Field Guide Series)
TOP
Live
Oak
Tree Clinic Quarterly, 2nd Qtr.2001
By Libby Pulley
Live Oak,
Quercus virginiana
Family: Fagaceae (Beech)
AKA: Coast Live Oak, Virginia Live Oak, Encino, Louisiana Live
Oak, Southern Live Oak, Spanish encina
 Majestic
live oaks contribute to the romance of the south, where they may
be viewed gracing the front lawn of an antebellum mansion, or
creating a mysterious veil over a bayou when draped with Spanish
moss. In North America, live oak trees grow along the coasts and
slightly inland. They are quite tolerant of salt and quite intolerant
of prolonged freezing temperatures; this may explain their coastal
distribution. In central Texas, live oaks are native and the most
popular landscaping tree. There are two main species of live oaks
in our area, Quercus virginiana and Quercus fusiforma; they are
intermingled and hybridized, which makes exact identification
of a single tree sometimes difficult. According to filed books,
Quercus virginiana has a slightly fatter acorn cap than does Quercus
fusiforma.
Live oaks
growing in a suitable environment reach 40-80 feet in height,
and the canopy may spread to twice the height. A national champion
live oak in Fort Davis, Texas is an impressive exception, measuring
123 ft. tall with a 30 ft. circumference.
Live oak is
one of north America's relatively few broad-leaf trees that retain
its green leaves year round just as most conifers keep their needles.
Older leaves are actually shed each spring when new leaves unfurl
from their buds. Nevertheless, the trees appear green in the winter,
when others have defoliated, thus the name "live" oak.
Acorns, which
mature around September, are the seeds of live oaks. Rich in oil,
they are eaten by resident and migrating songbirds as well as
quail, turkey, squirrel, and deer. Indians produced a cooking
oil from live oak acorns somewhat comparable to olive oil. Early
settlers soaked the bitter tannins out of the acorns and made
grits, flour, and roasted nuts.
Very mature
live oak trees have such personality, such character. These old
oaks may even seem to harbor wisdom because they have survived
so many seasons of nature and events of man. Live oaks have marked
the site of many important events in Texas history including Santa
Anna's surrender to Sam Houston at San Jacinto and also the rumored
signing of the first boundary agreement between the Indians and
early settlers at Treaty Oak in Austin.
Ah, such history.
How fortunate we are to live amidst these beloved old trees!
References:
A Field Guide to Texas Trees Benny J. Simpson, Gulf Publishing
Co., Houston, Tx. 1998 (Texas Monthly Field Guide Series)
Texas Trees A Friendly Guide Paul W. Cox and Patty Leslie, Corona
Publishing Co., San Antonio, Tx 1988
Woody Plants of Austin and the Hill Country Brother Daniel Lynch,
Austin, Tx St. Edward's University, 1981
Website: http://www.utexas.edu/ftp/depts/courses/mis311f/history/handbook/tptl.html
(search treaty oak)
TOP
Ashe
Juniper
Tree
Clinic Quarterly, 1st Qtr.2001
By Libby Pulley
Ashe Juniper,
Juniperus ashei
AKA: mountain cedar, cedar brake, Texas cedar, sabino, enebro,
tascate, taxate, post cedar, cedro, blue-berry juniper, rock cedar,
Ozark white cedar
 We
call them cedar trees, but actually these evergreens are classified
as junipers, members of the cypress family and the division coniferophyta
(cone bearing plants). The species name, ashei, is in honor of
the American botanist William Willard Ashe (1872-1932). Ashe junipers
are the most common trees in the Austin area, flourishing especially
in the limestone soil and full sun of the hill country.
All parts
of the cedar tree are used by man and other animals. Extracted
cedar-leaf oil is appreciated for its clean smell and used in
a variety of household and other products. Tree resin contains
up to 75% camphor (think Vicks VapoRub) and is used medicinally.
Birds and mammals feast on the blue berries and the endangered
Golden Cheeked Warbler uses (exclusively) the sloughed bark of
very mature old growth trees for making its nest. Of course, cedar
wood has been used by man for centuries for a myriad of products,
from arrow shafts to fence posts.
Ashe junipers
exist in two reproductive forms, like people do. There are male
trees and female trees. Female trees are the ones that have the
beautiful frosty blue-green berries, which are actually fleshy-scaled
tiny cones in which seeds are produced. Male trees produce bright
yellow projections, which emit the dreaded pollen that causes
cedar fever. A truly impressive sight is that of a male cedar
tree at the moment the conditions are just right and it releases
a yellow cloud of pollen. (Aaaachewww!)
Author's note:
I found an interesting website, containing parts of a book being
written by Elizabeth McGreevy-Seiler called Untwisting the Cedar,
exploring and exposing myths of the Ashe juniper tree (see references
below for web address). The author discusses the many misconceptions
about the cedar tree passed around by generations of central Texas
cedar-loathers. For example, It is regularly stated as fact that
mountain cedar is a nonnative invader species to central Texas.
McGreevy-Seiler gives plenty of evidence that Ashe juniper is
indeed a native species- including that it was present here at
the last ice age. She also explains why other commonly made criticisms
of the species are not based on fact. It's a site worth visiting-
it convinced me that the cedar tree of central Texas should not
be judged entirely by the effects of its pollen!
References:
Native Texas Plants Sally Wasowski, Gulf Publishing Co. Houston,
Tx. 1988
Trees of Central Texas Robert A. Vines, University of Texas Press,
Austin, Tx. 1984
Website: http://juniper1.home.texas.net/cedarstuff.html
Elizabeth McGreevy-Seiler
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