{"plants/native-trees":[{"id":"live-oak","name":"Live Oak","scientific":"Quercus virginiana","family":"Fagaceae (beech family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Quercus_virginiana","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including the Texas Gulf Coast","idTips":"Massive, wide-spreading evergreen with low, sweeping limbs. Small, leathery, oblong leaves are shiny dark green above and pale below. Small, dark, elongated acorns.","bloom":"Mar–May (catkins)","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Acorns feed Blue Jays, woodpeckers, wild turkeys, Wood Ducks, squirrels and deer. Like all oaks, it is one of the top caterpillar host plants in North America, and those caterpillars feed nesting songbirds. Its limbs carry Spanish moss and resurrection fern.","wildlifeShort":"Acorns feed jays, ducks and squirrels; a top caterpillar host for nesting songbirds","medicinal":"Its bark is rich in tannins and was used traditionally as an astringent wash.","edible":"Acorns are edible after the bitter tannins are leached out with water.","caution":null,"facts":["It is nearly evergreen. It sheds old leaves in early spring just as new ones emerge.","Its massive limbs often sweep down to touch the ground before rising again.","In the Hill Country it is replaced by the very similar Texas Live Oak (Quercus fusiformis), which has spindle-shaped acorns; the two often intergrade.","Resurrection fern on its limbs curls brown in drought and turns green again after rain."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Quercus virginiana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_virginiana"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Live Oak","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-virginiana/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Quercus virginiana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_virginiana"}],"2":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pleopeltis polypodioides","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleopeltis_polypodioides"}]},"regional":{"35a":{"level":3},"33b":{"level":3},"33e":{"level":4},"32c":{"level":4},"30c":{"level":3},"29d":{"level":3},"31c":{"level":3}},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"southern-magnolia","name":"Southern Magnolia","scientific":"Magnolia grandiflora","family":"Magnoliaceae (magnolia family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Magnolia_grandiflora","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including East Texas","idTips":"Large evergreen tree with thick, glossy leaves that are often rusty-fuzzy underneath. Huge, fragrant, creamy-white flowers up to 12 inches across. Cone-like fruit splits to reveal bright red seeds.","bloom":"May–Jun","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Its flowers are pollinated mainly by beetles. Its bright red seeds feed mockingbirds, Blue Jays, woodpeckers, wild turkeys and squirrels. Its dense evergreen foliage gives birds year-round shelter.","wildlifeShort":"Beetle-pollinated flowers; red seeds for mockingbirds, jays and squirrels","medicinal":"Its bark was used in folk medicine as a bitter tonic and fever remedy.","edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It belongs to an ancient flowering-plant lineage that is pollinated mainly by beetles, not bees.","It is the state tree of Mississippi and the state flower of Louisiana.","Its glossy, dark green leaves can be up to 8 inches long.","Its cone-like fruits open in fall to reveal red seeds that dangle on silky threads."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Magnolia grandiflora","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Magnolia grandiflora","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Magnolia grandiflora","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora"}],"3":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Southern Magnolia","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAGR4"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33b":{"level":4},"33f":{"level":4},"34b":{"level":4},"32a":{"level":4},"32b":{"level":3},"30c":{"level":4}}},{"id":"loblolly-pine","name":"Loblolly Pine","scientific":"Pinus taeda","family":"Pinaceae (pine family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Pinus_taeda","origin":"Southeastern U.S.; the dominant pine of the East Texas Piney Woods","idTips":"Tall, straight pine with needles in bundles of three, 6–9 inches long. Reddish-brown, scaly, plated bark. Cones are 3–6 inches long with a sharp prickle on each scale.","bloom":"Feb–Apr (pollen cones)","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its seeds feed Brown-headed Nuthatches, Pine Warblers, chickadees and squirrels. Old pines are nesting and roosting trees for the threatened Red-cockaded Woodpecker. It hosts pine-feeding moths such as the imperial moth.","wildlifeShort":"Seeds feed nuthatches and Pine Warblers; nest tree for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers","medicinal":"Pine resin and needle tea were used in folk remedies for colds and coughs.","edible":"Young needles can be steeped into a vitamin C–rich tea.","caution":null,"facts":["Its needles grow in bundles of three.","'Loblolly' is an old Southern word for a muddy hollow, where it often grows.","An isolated stand near Bastrop grows more than 100 miles west of the main East Texas forests.","Its old name 'oldfield' comes from how fast it takes over abandoned fields."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pinus taeda","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_taeda"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Loblolly Pine","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pinus-taeda/"}],"1":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Loblolly Pine","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PITA"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lost Pines Forest","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Pines_Forest"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pinus taeda","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_taeda"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33f":{"level":4},"32a":{"level":4},"30c":{"level":4},"29d":{"level":4}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"bald-cypress","name":"Bald Cypress","scientific":"Taxodium distichum","family":"Cupressaceae (cypress family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Taxodium_distichum","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including Texas rivers and {bayou}s","idTips":"Cone-shaped tree with soft, feathery, flat needles arranged in two rows. The needles turn rusty orange and drop in fall. Swollen, buttressed trunk base, with woody 'knees' poking up near water.","bloom":"Mar–Apr (catkins)","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Its round cones and seeds feed squirrels, Wood Ducks and wild turkeys. Old trees provide nest sites for herons, egrets, Ospreys and Bald Eagles, and cavities for Prothonotary Warblers.","wildlifeShort":"Seeds feed Wood Ducks and squirrels; nest tree for herons, Ospreys and eagles","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is a deciduous conifer: it drops its needles every fall.","It grows woody 'knees' up from its roots, and scientists still debate what they are for.","It is the state tree of Louisiana.","Its rot-resistant heartwood earned the nickname 'wood eternal.'"],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Taxodium distichum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxodium_distichum"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Taxodium distichum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxodium_distichum"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Taxodium distichum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxodium_distichum"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Taxodium distichum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxodium_distichum"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33b":{"level":3},"33e":{"level":4},"34b":{"level":3},"32b":{"level":4},"31c":{"level":3}}},{"id":"sweetgum","name":"Sweetgum","scientific":"Liquidambar styraciflua","family":"Altingiaceae (sweetgum family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Liquidambar_styraciflua","origin":"Eastern U.S. and Mexico, including East Texas","idTips":"Star-shaped leaves with five (sometimes seven) pointed lobes. Spiky, round seed balls ('gumballs') hang on long stems. Brilliant red, orange and purple fall color. Twigs sometimes have corky wings.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Seeds from its gumballs feed American Goldfinches, chickadees, sparrows and squirrels. It is a host plant for the luna moth.","wildlifeShort":"Gumball seeds feed goldfinches and chickadees; host for the luna moth","medicinal":"Its resin (storax) was applied to wounds by Native Americans and early settlers.","edible":"Its hardened resin was chewed like gum.","caution":"Its spiky seed balls are hard on bare feet.","facts":["Its spiky fruit balls stay whole after releasing their seeds.","Its leaves are shaped like five-pointed stars.","Its resin has been used to make chewing gum, incense and perfume.","Its lumber has been marketed as 'satin walnut.'"],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Liquidambar styraciflua","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Liquidambar styraciflua","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Sweetgum","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/liquidambar-styraciflua/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Liquidambar styraciflua","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33b":{"level":3},"32a":{"level":3},"30c":{"level":3},"29d":{"level":3}}},{"id":"pecan","name":"Pecan","scientific":"Carya illinoinensis","family":"Juglandaceae (walnut family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Pecan","origin":"South-central U.S. and Mexico, along Texas river bottoms","idTips":"Tall tree with long compound leaves of 9–17 slightly curved, pointed leaflets. Gray, ridged bark. Oblong nuts in a four-part husk that splits open in fall.","bloom":"Apr–May (catkins)","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its nuts feed squirrels, Blue Jays, crows, woodpeckers, raccoons and deer. It hosts many hickory-feeding moths, including the luna moth.","wildlifeShort":"Nuts feed squirrels, jays, crows and raccoons","medicinal":null,"edible":"Its nuts are a major food crop and a Texas staple.","caution":null,"facts":["It has been the state tree of Texas since 1919.","It is a type of hickory.","Its name comes from an Algonquian word used for several kinds of nuts, including walnuts and hickory nuts.","Texas Governor Jim Hogg asked for one to be planted at his grave."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pecan","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pecan","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pecan","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan"}],"3":[{"label":"Texas A&M Forest Service: Famous Trees of Texas, Our State Tree","url":"https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/famous-trees-of-texas-our-state-tree/"},{"label":"TSHA Handbook of Texas: State Tree","url":"https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/state-tree"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33e":{"level":4}}},{"id":"cedar-elm","name":"Cedar Elm","scientific":"Ulmus crassifolia","family":"Ulmaceae (elm family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Ulmus_crassifolia","origin":"Texas and neighboring states; the most widespread native elm in Texas","idTips":"Small, rough, sandpapery leaves (1–2 inches) with toothed edges. Twigs often have corky wings. Yellow fall color. Small, flat, notched seeds appear in fall.","bloom":"Jul–Oct","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its seeds feed finches, sparrows and squirrels. It hosts question mark and mourning cloak butterflies, and its dense branches give birds nesting cover.","wildlifeShort":"Seeds for finches and sparrows; host for question mark butterflies","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its pollen is a fall allergen in Texas.","facts":["Unlike most elms, it flowers in late summer and fall instead of spring.","Its small leaves feel rough, like sandpaper.","It has the smallest leaves of any native Texas elm.","Its name comes not from the tree itself but from where it grows: with Ashe Juniper, which Texans call \"cedar.\""],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Ulmus crassifolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_crassifolia"}],"1":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Cedar Elm","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ULCR"}],"2":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Cedar Elm","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ULCR"}],"3":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},"noQuizFacts":[1],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"sugarberry","name":"Sugarberry","scientific":"Celtis laevigata","family":"Cannabaceae (hemp family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Celtis_laevigata","origin":"Southeastern U.S., very common throughout {place}","idTips":"Smooth gray bark with distinctive corky warts and ridges. Lopsided, pointed leaves with an uneven base. Small orange-red to purple berries in fall.","bloom":"Feb–Apr","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its berries feed mockingbirds, robins, Cedar Waxwings, woodpeckers and many other birds through winter. It hosts the hackberry emperor, tawny emperor, question mark and American snout butterflies.","wildlifeShort":"Winter berries for many birds; host for hackberry emperor and snout butterflies","medicinal":null,"edible":"The thin, sweet flesh of its berries is edible.","caution":null,"facts":["It is also called Southern Hackberry.","Its smooth gray bark is covered in corky warts.","It is the host plant of the hackberry emperor and American snout butterflies."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Celtis laevigata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis_laevigata"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Sugarberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/celtis-laevigata/"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Sugarberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/celtis-laevigata/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33e":{"level":3},"26c":{"level":3}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"eastern-redbud","name":"Eastern Redbud","scientific":"Cercis canadensis","family":"Fabaceae (pea family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Cercis_canadensis","origin":"Eastern North America, including East Texas","idTips":"Small understory tree covered in magenta-pink, pea-like flowers on bare branches in late winter. Heart-shaped leaves. Flat, bean-like seed pods.","bloom":"Feb–May","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","host"],"wildlife":"It is one of the earliest nectar sources for native bees such as mason bees. It hosts Henry's elfin butterfly, and some birds, including Northern Cardinals, eat its seeds.","wildlifeShort":"Very early nectar for native bees; host for Henry's elfin","medicinal":"Its bark was used in Native American medicine for fevers and coughs.","edible":"Its flowers are edible raw and add color to salads.","caution":null,"facts":["It flowers on bare branches, sometimes right on the trunk, before its leaves appear.","Its leaves are heart-shaped.","Central Texas has its own variety, Texas Redbud (var. texensis), and West Texas has Mexican Redbud (var. mexicana).","It is in the pea family and bears flat, bean-like pods."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Cercis canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercis_canadensis"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Cercis canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercis_canadensis"}],"2":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Cercis canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercis_canadensis"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"34b":{"level":4},"27h":{"level":3},"26c":{"level":3}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"mexican-plum","name":"Mexican Plum","scientific":"Prunus mexicana","family":"Rosaceae (rose family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Prunus_mexicana","origin":"Texas, central U.S. and northern Mexico","idTips":"Small, single-trunk tree that bursts into fragrant white blooms on bare branches in late winter. Dark, flaking bark. Purplish-red plums in late summer.","bloom":"Feb–Mar","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its early flowers feed bees and early butterflies. Its plums feed birds, raccoons, foxes and deer. It hosts the eastern tiger swallowtail and many moths.","wildlifeShort":"Early blossoms for bees; plums for birds and mammals","medicinal":null,"edible":"Its plums are edible and make good jelly.","caution":"Its seeds and wilted leaves contain compounds that release cyanide.","facts":["Its mature trunks turn satiny blue-gray.","Unlike many wild plums, it grows as a single trunk and does not form thickets.","Its purplish-red plums ripen in late summer.","Its fruit is made into preserves, and the tree is used as rootstock for grafting."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Mexican Plum","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRME"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Prunus mexicana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_mexicana"}],"2":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Mexican Plum","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRME"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Prunus mexicana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_mexicana"},{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Mexican Plum","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRME"}]},"level":4,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"cherry-laurel","name":"Carolina Cherry Laurel","scientific":"Prunus caroliniana","family":"Rosaceae (rose family)","status":"native","type":"tree","wiki":"Prunus_caroliniana","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including the Texas Gulf Coast","idTips":"Evergreen small tree with glossy, pointed leaves that smell like maraschino cherries when crushed. Spikes of small creamy flowers. Shiny black fruits.","bloom":"Feb–Apr","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators","host"],"wildlife":"Its spring flowers feed bees. Its black fruits feed robins, Cedar Waxwings, mockingbirds and cardinals. It hosts the eastern tiger swallowtail.","wildlifeShort":"Black fruit for robins and waxwings; spring flowers for bees","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its leaves, twigs and seeds release cyanide and are toxic to livestock, pets and people.","facts":["Its crushed leaves smell like maraschino cherries or almonds.","That scent comes from cyanide-releasing compounds.","Despite its name, its ripe fruits are black, not red.","It is widely used as a native evergreen hedge."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Prunus caroliniana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_caroliniana"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Carolina Cherry Laurel","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/prunus-caroliniana/"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Carolina Cherry Laurel","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/prunus-caroliniana/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Prunus caroliniana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_caroliniana"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Prunus caroliniana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_caroliniana"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Carolina Cherry Laurel","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/prunus-caroliniana/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33f":{"level":4},"34b":{"level":4},"32b":{"level":3},"32c":{"level":3}}},{"id":"wax-myrtle","name":"Wax Myrtle","scientific":"Morella cerifera","family":"Myricaceae (bayberry family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Morella_cerifera","imageUrl":"https://static.inaturalist.org/photos/221143410/large.jpeg","origin":"Southeastern U.S., the Gulf Coast and East Texas","idTips":"Evergreen shrub or small tree with narrow, toothed leaves dotted with tiny golden glands that smell spicy when crushed. Female plants carry clusters of small, waxy, blue-gray berries.","bloom":"Feb–Apr","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Its waxy berries are a key winter food for Yellow-rumped Warblers and Tree Swallows, which can digest the wax. Its dense evergreen growth shelters wintering songbirds.","wildlifeShort":"Waxy winter berries are a key food for Yellow-rumped Warblers","medicinal":"Its bark and roots were used in folk medicine for fevers and diarrhea.","edible":"Its leaves can be used like bay leaves for seasoning.","caution":null,"facts":["Colonists boiled the wax off its berries to make bayberry candles.","Yellow-rumped Warblers are one of the few birds that can digest its waxy berries.","Frankia bacteria in its roots fix nitrogen, so it thrives in poor soil."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Wax Myrtle","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MOCE2"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Morella cerifera","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morella_cerifera"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Wax Myrtle","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/morella-cerifera/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Morella cerifera","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morella_cerifera"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33f":{"level":3},"32a":{"level":3},"32c":{"level":4},"30c":{"level":3},"29d":{"level":4}}},{"id":"yaupon-holly","name":"Yaupon Holly","scientific":"Ilex vomitoria","family":"Aquifoliaceae (holly family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Ilex_vomitoria","origin":"Southeastern U.S., abundant in {place}-area woodlands","idTips":"Evergreen shrub or small tree with small, oval, glossy leaves with rounded teeth. Smooth, pale gray bark. Female plants carry bright red berries in fall and winter.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Red berries on female plants feed Cedar Waxwings, robins, mockingbirds, bluebirds and cardinals through winter. Its spring flowers feed bees, and its dense evergreen growth gives birds nesting cover.","wildlifeShort":"Red winter berries for waxwings, robins, bluebirds and cardinals","medicinal":"Its leaves contain caffeine and were brewed by Native Americans into a ceremonial 'black drink.'","edible":"Its dried, roasted leaves make a caffeinated tea that is now sold commercially.","caution":"Its berries are mildly toxic to people and pets.","facts":["It is the best-known caffeinated plant native to North America.","Its Latin name 'vomitoria' came from a European misunderstanding of Native American purification ceremonies.","Only female plants produce berries.","'Folsom Weeping' and 'Grey's Littleleaf' are popular varieties of it."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Ilex vomitoria","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Ilex vomitoria","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria"}],"2":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Yaupon Holly","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ILVO"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Ilex vomitoria","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"possumhaw","name":"Possumhaw","scientific":"Ilex decidua","family":"Aquifoliaceae (holly family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Ilex_decidua","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including {place}-area bottomlands","idTips":"Deciduous holly with pale gray stems. It drops its leaves in winter, leaving bare branches lined with bright red-orange berries on female plants.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Its berries last into late winter and feed robins, Cedar Waxwings, bluebirds and mockingbirds. Opossums, raccoons and deer eat the fruit too, and bees visit its spring flowers.","wildlifeShort":"Late-winter berries for robins and waxwings","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its berries are mildly toxic to people.","facts":["It is a holly that drops its leaves in winter.","Its name comes from opossums eating its fruit.","Its red berries line its bare gray branches in winter.","Only female plants make berries."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Ilex decidua","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_decidua"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Possumhaw","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ilex-decidua/"}],"2":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Possumhaw","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ILDE"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Ilex decidua","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_decidua"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Possumhaw","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ilex-decidua/"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"dwarf-palmetto","name":"Dwarf Palmetto","scientific":"Sabal minor","family":"Arecaceae (palm family)","status":"native","type":"palm","wiki":"Sabal_minor","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including {place} bottomland forests","idTips":"Low palm, usually with no visible trunk. Large, stiff, blue-green fan-shaped leaves. Tall stalks of tiny white flowers followed by shiny black fruits.","bloom":"May–Jul","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Its flowers feed bees. Its black fruits feed raccoons, Pileated Woodpeckers, mockingbirds and robins, and its dense fronds shelter small wildlife.","wildlifeShort":"Black fruits for woodpeckers, robins and raccoons","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It grows in swamps, floodplains and maritime forests.","Its trunk usually stays underground.","It is often found growing in calcareous marl soil.","It is one of the most cold-hardy palms in North America."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Sabal minor","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabal_minor"}],"1":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Dwarf Palmetto","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAMI8"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Sabal minor","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabal_minor"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Sabal minor","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabal_minor"}]},"noQuizFacts":[3],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"32a":{"level":4},"29d":{"level":3}}}],"plants/native-shrubs-vines":[{"id":"american-beautyberry","name":"American Beautyberry","scientific":"Callicarpa americana","family":"Lamiaceae (mint family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Callicarpa_americana","origin":"Southeastern U.S., common in {place} woodlands","idTips":"Loose, arching shrub with large, soft, toothed leaves in pairs. In late summer and fall, tight clusters of vivid metallic-purple berries ring the stem at each leaf pair.","bloom":"Jun–Aug","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Its purple berries feed Northern Mockingbirds, cardinals, robins, Brown Thrashers, raccoons and deer. Bees visit its summer flowers.","wildlifeShort":"Purple fall berries for mockingbirds, cardinals and thrashers","medicinal":"USDA scientists confirmed that compounds in its leaves, including callicarpenal, repel mosquitoes and ticks. Crushed leaves were a traditional bug repellent.","edible":"Its berries are edible but bland and are usually made into jelly.","caution":null,"facts":["USDA research confirmed that its crushed leaves repel mosquitoes, as folk tradition claimed.","Its berries grow in tight rings around the stem.","Its berries are an intense metallic purple.","It belongs to the mint family."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: American Beautyberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/callicarpa-americana/"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Callicarpa americana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callicarpa_americana"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: American Beautyberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/callicarpa-americana/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Callicarpa americana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callicarpa_americana"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: American Beautyberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/callicarpa-americana/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"31c":{"level":4}}},{"id":"elderberry","name":"American Elderberry","scientific":"Sambucus canadensis","family":"Viburnaceae (viburnum family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Sambucus_canadensis","origin":"Eastern North America, common in {place} ditches and wet areas","idTips":"Fast-growing shrub with compound leaves of 5–11 toothed leaflets. Large, flat-topped clusters of tiny white flowers. Drooping clusters of small purple-black berries in summer.","bloom":"Apr–Jul","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"More than 40 bird species eat its berries, including mockingbirds, cardinals, bluebirds and catbirds. Bees, flies and butterflies visit its flowers.","wildlifeShort":"Summer berries for 40+ bird species; flowers for bees","medicinal":"Elderberry syrup is a traditional cold and flu remedy, and some studies suggest it may shorten colds.","edible":"Ripe berries are edible only when cooked, in jams, pies and syrup. The flowers make fritters and cordial.","caution":"Raw berries, unripe berries, stems, leaves and roots contain cyanide-releasing compounds and can cause nausea.","facts":["Its berries must be cooked before eating.","It is the source of traditional elderberry syrup.","Its genus name comes from sambuce, an ancient wind instrument.","Its hollow stems were traditionally used to make whistles and flutes."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Sambucus canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: American Elderberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sambucus-canadensis/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Sambucus canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Sambucus canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: American Elderberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sambucus-canadensis/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33b":{"level":3},"33e":{"level":4},"34b":{"level":4},"32a":{"level":4},"32b":{"level":3},"32c":{"level":3},"30c":{"level":4},"29d":{"level":3},"27h":{"level":4}}},{"id":"buttonbush","name":"Buttonbush","scientific":"Cephalanthus occidentalis","family":"Rubiaceae (coffee family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Cephalanthus_occidentalis","origin":"North America, in wetlands throughout the {place} area","idTips":"Wetland shrub with glossy leaves in pairs or whorls of three. Perfectly round, white, pincushion-like flower balls with protruding styles. Round brown seed heads follow.","bloom":"Jun–Sep","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its round flower balls are a magnet for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Ducks and shorebirds eat its seeds, and it hosts the hydrangea sphinx moth.","wildlifeShort":"Pincushion flowers draw butterflies and bees; seeds for ducks","medicinal":"Its bark was used in Native American medicine, though the plant is toxic.","edible":null,"caution":"Its leaves are toxic to people and livestock.","facts":["Its flowers form perfect round balls that look like pincushions.","Its round brown seed heads stay on the plant into winter.","It belongs to the coffee family.","Ducks eat its seed heads."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Buttonbush","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CEOC2"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Buttonbush","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cephalanthus-occidentalis/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Cephalanthus occidentalis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalanthus_occidentalis"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Buttonbush","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cephalanthus-occidentalis/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Cephalanthus occidentalis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalanthus_occidentalis"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33e":{"level":3},"32b":{"level":3},"25i":{"level":3},"26c":{"level":3}}},{"id":"texas-lantana","name":"Texas Lantana","scientific":"Lantana urticoides","family":"Verbenaceae (verbena family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Lantana_urticoides","imageUrl":"https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/11766296/large.jpg","origin":"Texas, Louisiana and northern Mexico","idTips":"Rough, aromatic leaves. Rounded clusters of small flowers that open yellow and age to orange and red, so all three colors appear on the same cluster. Shiny black berries.","bloom":"Apr–Nov","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds","hummingbirds"],"wildlife":"It is a butterfly magnet that also attracts hummingbirds. Birds eat its berries and spread the seeds.","wildlifeShort":"Butterfly magnet; berries for birds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its green berries are toxic to people, pets and livestock.","facts":["It is also called Calico Bush.","It grows in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, especially along the Gulf coast.","It is the native Texas cousin of common garden lantana."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Texas Lantana","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LAUR2"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lantana urticoides","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana_urticoides"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lantana urticoides","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana_urticoides"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"coral-bean","name":"Coral Bean","scientific":"Erythrina herbacea","family":"Fabaceae (pea family)","status":"native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Erythrina_herbacea","origin":"Southeastern U.S. and the Texas Gulf Coast","idTips":"Prickly perennial or shrub with three arrowhead-shaped leaflets. Tall spikes of narrow, tubular scarlet flowers in spring. Black pods split open to show shiny red seeds.","bloom":"Apr–Jun","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds"],"wildlife":"Its tubular red flowers open just as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive across the Gulf in spring, which makes it an important early nectar source.","wildlifeShort":"Spring nectar for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arriving across the Gulf","medicinal":"It was used in traditional Native American and Mexican medicine, but its alkaloids are dangerous.","edible":null,"caution":"Its bright red seeds are highly poisonous.","facts":["Its shiny red seeds are highly poisonous.","It is also called Cherokee bean.","Its genus name, Erythrina, comes from the Greek word for red."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Coral Bean","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/erythrina-herbacea/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Erythrina herbacea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrina_herbacea"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Erythrina","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrina"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"turks-cap","name":"Turk's Cap","scientific":"Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii","family":"Malvaceae (mallow family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Malvaviscus_arboreus","origin":"Texas, the Gulf Coast and Mexico","idTips":"Shrubby perennial with soft, broad leaves. Bright red flowers with petals that stay wrapped in a swirl and never fully open, with the stamen column sticking out. Small red, apple-like fruits.","bloom":"May–Nov","wildlifeTags":["birds","host","hummingbirds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"It is a top hummingbird plant and especially important during fall migration. Butterflies visit it too, and birds and small mammals eat its small red fruits.","wildlifeShort":"Top hummingbird nectar plant, vital in fall migration","medicinal":"In Mexican folk medicine, its leaves were used as a soothing poultice and its flowers as a tea for sore throats.","edible":"Its flowers and small red fruits are edible, and the fruit tastes like a mild apple.","caution":null,"facts":["Its petals swirl around each other and never fully open.","In the wild it grows in light shade near streams.","Its small red fruits are nicknamed 'Mexican apples.'","It belongs to the mallow family, like hibiscus and okra."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Malvaviscus arboreus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaviscus_arboreus"}],"1":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Turk's Cap","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAAR14"}],"2":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Turk's Cap","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAAR14"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Malvaviscus arboreus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaviscus_arboreus"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","hostFor":["Turk's-cap White-Skipper"],"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"coral-honeysuckle","name":"Coral Honeysuckle","scientific":"Lonicera sempervirens","family":"Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle family)","status":"native","type":"vine","wiki":"Lonicera_sempervirens","origin":"Eastern U.S., including East Texas","idTips":"Twining vine with paired blue-green leaves. The pair just below each flower cluster is fused into a disk around the stem. Clusters of slender, tubular flowers that are coral-red outside and yellow inside. Red berries.","bloom":"Mar–Jun, reblooms in fall","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds","pollinators","birds","host"],"wildlife":"It is a premier hummingbird vine that blooms through spring migration. Butterflies visit it, it hosts the snowberry clearwing moth, and songbirds eat its red berries.","wildlifeShort":"Premier hummingbird vine in spring migration; berries for songbirds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its berries are not edible for people.","facts":["It is the well-behaved native alternative to invasive Japanese honeysuckle.","The leaves just below its flowers are fused into a single disk around the stem.","Its flowers are red outside and yellow inside.","Its flowers have no fragrance."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lonicera sempervirens","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonicera_sempervirens"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Coral Honeysuckle","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lonicera-sempervirens/"},{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Coral Honeysuckle","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LOSE"}],"2":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Coral Honeysuckle","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LOSE"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Coral Honeysuckle","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lonicera-sempervirens/"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Coral Honeysuckle","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lonicera-sempervirens/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"30c":{"level":3},"29d":{"level":3}}},{"id":"crossvine","name":"Crossvine","scientific":"Bignonia capreolata","family":"Bignoniaceae (trumpet creeper family)","status":"native","type":"vine","wiki":"Bignonia_capreolata","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including East Texas","idTips":"Semi-evergreen vine with paired leaflets and a branched tendril between them. Trumpet flowers that are orange-red outside and yellow inside, blooming in early spring.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"It is one of the earliest native hummingbird flowers in {place}, blooming as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive across the Gulf in March. Bumblebees visit it too.","wildlifeShort":"Early-spring nectar for hummingbirds arriving across the Gulf","medicinal":"It was used as a tea in Native American medicine.","edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["A cut stem shows a cross-shaped pattern, which gave it its name.","Its flowers smell faintly of mocha.","It climbs with tendrils tipped with tiny adhesive pads.","It is one of the first native vines to bloom in spring."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Bignonia capreolata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bignonia_capreolata"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Bignonia capreolata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bignonia_capreolata"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Bignonia capreolata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bignonia_capreolata"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Crossvine","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/bignonia-capreolata/"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"trumpet-creeper","name":"Trumpet Creeper","scientific":"Campsis radicans","family":"Bignoniaceae (trumpet creeper family)","status":"native","type":"vine","wiki":"Campsis_radicans","origin":"Eastern U.S., including Texas","idTips":"Vigorous woody vine that climbs with aerial rootlets. Compound leaves with 7–11 toothed leaflets. Clusters of large orange-red trumpet flowers. Long, cigar-shaped seed pods.","bloom":"May–Sep","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"It is one of the most important summer nectar sources for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Bees and ants also visit its flowers.","wildlifeShort":"Major summer nectar source for hummingbirds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its leaves can irritate skin, which earned it the name 'cow itch vine.' It also spreads aggressively.","facts":["It is nicknamed 'cow itch vine' because its leaves can irritate skin.","It climbs with clinging aerial rootlets.","Caterpillars of a small moth feed inside its seed pods.","Its large seed pods split open to release hundreds of papery seeds."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Campsis radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campsis_radicans"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Trumpet Creeper","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/campsis-radicans/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Campsis radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campsis_radicans"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Trumpet Creeper","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/campsis-radicans/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Campsis radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campsis_radicans"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Campsis radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campsis_radicans"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"30c":{"level":3},"31c":{"level":4},"27h":{"level":4}}},{"id":"passionflower","name":"Purple Passionflower","scientific":"Passiflora incarnata","family":"Passifloraceae (passionflower family)","status":"native","type":"vine","wiki":"Passiflora_incarnata","origin":"Southeastern U.S., including the {place} area","idTips":"Climbing vine with three-lobed leaves and coiling tendrils. Intricate lavender flowers with a fringed crown of wavy filaments. Green, egg-shaped fruit.","bloom":"Apr–Sep","wildlifeTags":["host","pollinators"],"wildlife":"It is the host plant for Gulf fritillary, variegated fritillary and zebra longwing caterpillars. Carpenter bees and bumblebees pollinate its flowers.","wildlifeShort":"Host for Gulf fritillary and zebra longwing butterflies","medicinal":"It has long been used as a calming herb for anxiety and sleep and is still sold as a supplement.","edible":"Its ripe fruit has a sweet-tart pulp.","caution":null,"facts":["It is also called 'maypop' because its fruit pops loudly when stepped on.","It is the main host plant of the orange Gulf fritillary butterfly.","Spanish missionaries saw symbols of the Passion of Christ in its flower.","It is used as an herbal remedy for anxiety."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora incarnata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Purple Passionflower","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/passiflora-incarnata/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora incarnata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Purple Passionflower","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/passiflora-incarnata/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora incarnata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"34b":{"level":4},"32c":{"level":3},"30c":{"level":3},"29d":{"level":3}}},{"id":"poison-ivy","name":"Poison Ivy","scientific":"Toxicodendron radicans","family":"Anacardiaceae (cashew family)","status":"native","type":"vine","wiki":"Toxicodendron_radicans","origin":"Eastern North America, very common around {place}","idTips":"Leaves of three leaflets, with the middle one on a longer stalk. Leaflet edges can be smooth, toothed or lobed. It climbs trees as a 'hairy' rope-like vine or grows as ground cover or a shrub. Waxy white berries.","bloom":"Apr–Jun","wildlifeTags":["birds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Dozens of bird species eat its waxy berries in winter, including Yellow-rumped Warblers, woodpeckers, bluebirds and catbirds. Deer browse its leaves, and bees visit its flowers.","wildlifeShort":"Winter berries for warblers, woodpeckers and bluebirds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Every part contains urushiol, which causes an itchy rash. Never burn it, because the smoke can severely damage the lungs.","facts":["'Leaves of three, let it be': it has three leaflets, and the middle one has a longer stalk.","Burning it releases urushiol in the smoke, which can injure the lungs.","It is in the same family as cashews and mangoes.","Old vines on tree trunks look hairy because of their aerial rootlets."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Toxicodendron radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Toxicodendron radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Toxicodendron radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Toxicodendron radicans","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"31c":{"level":3}}},{"id":"virginia-creeper","name":"Virginia Creeper","scientific":"Parthenocissus quinquefolia","family":"Vitaceae (grape family)","status":"native","type":"vine","wiki":"Parthenocissus_quinquefolia","origin":"Eastern North America, common around {place}","idTips":"Climbing vine with five toothed leaflets that radiate like fingers. Its tendrils end in sticky adhesive disks. Blue-black berries on red stems. Brilliant red fall color.","bloom":"May–Jul","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its berries feed bluebirds, woodpeckers, vireos, thrushes and mockingbirds in fall. It hosts several sphinx moths, including the Virginia creeper sphinx.","wildlifeShort":"Fall berries for bluebirds and thrushes; sphinx moth host","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its berries are toxic to people because they contain oxalate crystals.","facts":["It has five leaflets, while poison ivy has three.","Its tendrils stick to walls with tiny adhesive pads.","It belongs to the grape family.","It turns brilliant red in fall."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Parthenocissus quinquefolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_quinquefolia"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Virginia Creeper","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/parthenocissus-quinquefolia/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Parthenocissus quinquefolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_quinquefolia"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Parthenocissus quinquefolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_quinquefolia"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Virginia Creeper","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/parthenocissus-quinquefolia/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Parthenocissus quinquefolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_quinquefolia"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"34b":{"level":3},"27h":{"level":3}}},{"id":"mustang-grape","name":"Mustang Grape","scientific":"Vitis mustangensis","family":"Vitaceae (grape family)","status":"native","type":"vine","wiki":"Vitis_mustangensis","origin":"Texas and neighboring states","idTips":"Huge, high-climbing grape vine. Its leaves are dark green on top with a dense white felt underneath that flashes silver in the wind. Clusters of dark purple, thick-skinned grapes in summer.","bloom":"Apr–May","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"Its grapes feed mockingbirds, cardinals, robins, raccoons, foxes and opossums. Birds use its peeling bark as nest material, and it hosts grape-feeding sphinx moths.","wildlifeShort":"Grapes feed birds and foxes; peeling bark is used for nests","medicinal":null,"edible":"Its grapes are edible but very acidic and are traditionally made into jelly and wine.","caution":"Its juice can irritate or burn skin, so wear gloves when processing the grapes.","facts":["The undersides of its leaves are bright white and felt-like.","Its acidic juice can irritate bare hands.","Texans have long made its grapes into jelly and wine.","It can climb to the tops of tall trees."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Vitis mustangensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_mustangensis"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Vitis mustangensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_mustangensis"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Vitis mustangensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_mustangensis"}],"3":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Mustang Grape","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VIMU2"}]},"regional":{"35a":{"level":3},"31c":{"level":4},"27h":{"level":4}},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"}],"plants/native-wildflowers-grasses":[{"id":"purple-coneflower","name":"Purple Coneflower","scientific":"Echinacea purpurea","family":"Asteraceae (aster family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Echinacea_purpurea","origin":"Eastern and central U.S., including East Texas","idTips":"Daisy-like flowers with drooping pink-purple petals around a spiky orange-brown dome. Rough, lance-shaped leaves.","bloom":"May–Jul","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds"],"wildlife":"It is a pollinator magnet for bees and butterflies. Seed heads left standing in fall feed American Goldfinches.","wildlifeShort":"Pollinator magnet; seed heads feed goldfinches","medicinal":"It is the source of echinacea supplements, widely taken for colds, although studies of how well they work are mixed.","edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is the source of the herbal supplement echinacea.","Its genus name comes from the Greek word for hedgehog, after its spiky center.","Leaving its seed heads standing feeds finches in winter.","Its petals droop down from the cone."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Purple Coneflower","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ECPU"}],"1":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Purple Coneflower","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ECPU"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Echinacea purpurea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea_purpurea"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Purple Coneflower","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/echinacea-purpurea/"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Purple Coneflower","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/echinacea-purpurea/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"black-eyed-susan","name":"Black-eyed Susan","scientific":"Rudbeckia hirta","family":"Asteraceae (aster family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Rudbeckia_hirta","origin":"Most of North America, including {place} prairies","idTips":"Golden-yellow daisy with a dark chocolate-brown domed center. Its stems and leaves are hairy and rough.","bloom":"May–Oct","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds","host"],"wildlife":"Many native bees, butterflies and beetles visit it. Goldfinches and sparrows eat its seeds, and it hosts the silvery checkerspot butterfly.","wildlifeShort":"Native bees and butterflies; silvery checkerspot host","medicinal":"Native Americans used its roots in teas for colds and as a wash for sores.","edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is the state flower of Maryland.","It is a biennial or short-lived perennial that forms a rosette its first year and blooms its second.","Its stems and leaves are covered in rough hairs.","It is a host plant for the silvery checkerspot butterfly."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rudbeckia hirta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudbeckia_hirta"}],"1":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rudbeckia hirta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudbeckia_hirta"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Black-eyed Susan","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rudbeckia-hirta/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rudbeckia hirta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudbeckia_hirta"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Black-eyed Susan","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rudbeckia-hirta/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"31c":{"level":4},"27h":{"level":3}},"hostFor":["Silvery Checkerspot","Bordered Patch"]},{"id":"indian-blanket","name":"Indian Blanket","scientific":"Gaillardia pulchella","family":"Asteraceae (aster family)","status":"native","type":"annual","wiki":"Gaillardia_pulchella","origin":"Texas and the central and southern U.S.; common on Gulf Coast roadsides","idTips":"Daisy-like wildflower with petals that are red at the center and yellow at the tips, with three teeth at each tip. Reddish-brown center.","bloom":"Apr–Jul","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds"],"wildlife":"Its nectar draws bees, butterflies and moths, and songbirds eat its seeds.","wildlifeShort":"Nectar for bees and butterflies; seeds for songbirds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is also called Firewheel.","It is the state wildflower of Oklahoma.","Its red-and-yellow petals end in three teeth.","It thrives in sand, including on Gulf Coast dunes."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Gaillardia pulchella","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_pulchella"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Gaillardia pulchella","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_pulchella"}],"2":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Indian Blanket","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=GAPU"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Indian Blanket","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gaillardia-pulchella/"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Gaillardia pulchella","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_pulchella"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"texas-bluebonnet","name":"Texas Bluebonnet","scientific":"Lupinus texensis","family":"Fabaceae (pea family)","status":"native","type":"annual","wiki":"Lupinus_texensis","origin":"Texas, centered in Central Texas. Most bluebonnets around {place} are planted along highways and in gardens.","idTips":"Spikes of blue pea-like flowers with a white-tipped spike top. The white spot on each flower's upper petal turns reddish-purple with age. Palm-like leaves of five leaflets.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","host"],"wildlife":"Bumblebees and other native bees pollinate it. As each flower ages, the white spot on its top petal turns pink, then purple, and bees learn to favor the younger, white-spotted flowers. Its leaves also feed the caterpillars of some butterflies and moths.","wildlifeShort":"Bumblebee flower whose white spot turns purple as it ages","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its seeds and plants are toxic to people and pets.","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}],"facts":["Bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas.","The white spot on its top petal turns pink, then purple, as the flower ages, not because it was pollinated.","Its hard-coated seeds can stay dormant in the soil for years.","It is the species most often planted by highway departments."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lupinus texensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_texensis"}],"1":[{"label":"Wildflower Center: Old Brides’ Tales (bluebonnet banner spot)","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/magazine/native-plants/old-brides-tales"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lupinus texensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_texensis"}],"3":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Texas Bluebonnet","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LUTE"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"scarlet-sage","name":"Scarlet Sage","scientific":"Salvia coccinea","family":"Lamiaceae (mint family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Salvia_coccinea","origin":"The Gulf Coast, Florida and Mexico","idTips":"Square stems with soft, heart-shaped, toothed leaves in pairs. Airy spikes of bright scarlet tubular flowers with a broad lower lip. Pink and white forms exist.","bloom":"Apr–Nov","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds","pollinators","birds"],"wildlife":"It is one of the best native hummingbird plants for {place} gardens, blooming from spring through fall migration. Butterflies and bees feed on it too, and finches eat its seeds.","wildlifeShort":"Blooms spring through fall migration for hummingbirds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is also called Tropical Sage.","Like all mints, it has square stems.","It reseeds freely, so it returns year after year.","It grows well in partial shade."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Salvia coccinea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_coccinea"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Scarlet Sage","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/salvia-coccinea/"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Scarlet Sage","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/salvia-coccinea/"},{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Scarlet Sage","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SACO5"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Scarlet Sage","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/salvia-coccinea/"},{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Scarlet Sage","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SACO5"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"frostweed","name":"Frostweed","scientific":"Verbesina virginica","family":"Asteraceae (aster family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Verbesina_virginica","origin":"Southeastern U.S., common along {place} woodland edges","idTips":"Tall, single-stemmed perennial with winged stems and large, rough leaves. Flat clusters of small white flowers in fall. After a hard freeze, ribbons of ice form at the stem bases.","bloom":"Aug–Nov","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"It is a major fall nectar source for monarch butterflies migrating through Texas. Bees, wasps and many other butterflies visit it too.","wildlifeShort":"Key fall nectar for migrating monarchs","medicinal":"It was used in Native American medicine for fevers and chills.","edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["On freezing mornings, its stems split and push out curling ribbons of ice.","Leafy wings run down its stems.","It fuels monarchs as they migrate south through Texas in fall.","It doesn't bloom until fall, when bees and butterflies crowd its flowers."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Verbesina virginica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbesina_virginica"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Verbesina virginica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbesina_virginica"}],"2":[{"label":"Dallas County Master Gardeners: How to Help the Monarch Butterflies","url":"https://dallascountymastergardeners.org/how-to-help-the-monarch-butterflies/"},{"label":"Xerces Society: Southern Plains Monarch Nectar Plants","url":"https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/16-048_02_MNPL_Southern-Plains_web-print.pdf"}],"3":[{"label":"Dallas County Master Gardeners: How to Help the Monarch Butterflies","url":"https://dallascountymastergardeners.org/how-to-help-the-monarch-butterflies/"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"green-milkweed","name":"Green Milkweed","scientific":"Asclepias viridis","family":"Apocynaceae (dogbane family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Asclepias_viridis","origin":"Central and southern U.S., including Gulf Coast prairies","idTips":"Sprawling milkweed with thick, wavy leaves and milky sap. Rounded clusters of pale green flowers with purple centers. Large seed pods with silky seeds.","bloom":"Mar–Sep","wildlifeTags":["host","pollinators"],"wildlife":"It is a crucial monarch host. It comes up early in spring, just as monarchs return from Mexico and lay their first eggs in Texas. Its flowers feed bees, wasps and butterflies.","wildlifeShort":"Host for the first spring generation of monarchs in Texas","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its milky sap is toxic to people and livestock.","facts":["It is also called Green Antelopehorn, after its curved seed pods.","Monarchs returning north from Mexico in spring lay their eggs on it in Texas.","Its species name means 'green,' for its flower color.","It is common in pastures, prairies and roadsides from Kansas to Texas."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?search_field=Asclepias+viridis&newsearch=true"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Asclepias viridis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_viridis"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Green Milkweed","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/asclepias-viridis/"}],"3":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Green Milkweed","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASVI2"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"30c":{"level":4},"31c":{"level":4},"27h":{"level":3},"26c":{"level":3}}},{"id":"goldenrod","name":"Tall Goldenrod","scientific":"Solidago altissima","family":"Asteraceae (aster family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Solidago_altissima","origin":"North America, including {place} prairies and fields","idTips":"Tall, leafy stems topped by large plumes of tiny golden-yellow flowers in fall. Narrow, toothed leaves. It spreads by underground rhizomes.","bloom":"Sep–Nov","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","host","birds"],"wildlife":"It is one of the most important late-season foods for bees and migrating monarchs. More than 100 caterpillar species feed on goldenrods, and sparrows and goldfinches eat its seeds.","wildlifeShort":"Critical fall nectar for bees and monarchs; hosts 100+ caterpillar species","medicinal":"It was used in European and Native American medicine as a tea for urinary and kidney complaints.","edible":"Its flowers and leaves can be brewed into tea.","caution":null,"facts":["It is wrongly blamed for hay fever. Ragweed, which blooms at the same time, is the real culprit.","One plant can produce as many as 1,500 small flower heads.","Round swellings on its stems are galls made by fly larvae.","It is the state flower of Kentucky and Nebraska."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Tall Goldenrod","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solidago-altissima/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Solidago altissima","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago_altissima"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Solidago altissima","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago_altissima"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Solidago","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"frogfruit","name":"Frogfruit","scientific":"Phyla nodiflora","family":"Verbenaceae (verbena family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Phyla_nodiflora","origin":"Southern U.S. and the tropics, common in {place} lawns","idTips":"Low, creeping ground cover that roots at the nodes. Small toothed leaves. Tiny white-to-pink flowers in a ring around a little cone-shaped head on a long stalk.","bloom":"Apr–Oct","wildlifeTags":["host","pollinators"],"wildlife":"It hosts the phaon crescent, common buckeye and white peacock butterflies. Its tiny flowers feed small native bees and butterflies all season.","wildlifeShort":"Host for phaon crescent, buckeye and white peacock butterflies","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}],"facts":["It grows only about 6 inches tall and spreads by creeping stems.","Its flowers grow in a ring around a tiny cone that lengthens over time.","It tolerates drought, flooding and salty soil.","It is a host plant for the White Peacock butterfly."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Frogfruit","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phyla-nodiflora/"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Frogfruit","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phyla-nodiflora/"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Frogfruit","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phyla-nodiflora/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Phyla nodiflora","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyla_nodiflora"}]},"regional":{"35a":{"level":3},"25i":{"level":3},"26c":{"level":3}},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"pigeonberry","name":"Pigeonberry","scientific":"Rivina humilis","family":"Petiveriaceae (petiveria family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Rivina_humilis","origin":"Southern U.S. to South America, including {place}","idTips":"Low, shade-loving perennial with thin, pointed leaves. Slender spikes of tiny pinkish-white flowers, with shiny bright red berries on the same spike.","bloom":"Mar–Nov","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Its red berries feed many birds, including mockingbirds, cardinals and thrushes.","wildlifeShort":"Red berries for ground-feeding birds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its berries and leaves are considered toxic to people.","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}],"facts":["Its flowers and ripe red berries appear on the same stalk at the same time.","It thrives in dry shade under trees.","Its berries were once used as a red dye and ink.","It is also called rougeplant."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Pigeonberry","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RIHU2"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rivina humilis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivina_humilis"},{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Pigeonberry","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RIHU2"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rivina humilis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivina_humilis"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rivina humilis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivina_humilis"}]},"level":4,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"prickly-pear","name":"Prickly Pear Cactus","scientific":"Opuntia spp.","family":"Cactaceae (cactus family)","status":"native","type":"succulent","wiki":"Opuntia","origin":"The Americas, including Gulf Coast prairies and dunes","idTips":"Flat, paddle-shaped green pads with spines and tufts of tiny barbed bristles called glochids. Showy yellow cup-shaped flowers, followed by red-purple pear-shaped fruit.","bloom":"Apr–Jun","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds"],"wildlife":"Native bees pollinate its flowers, especially specialist cactus bees. Birds, coyotes, raccoons, deer and tortoises eat its fruit.","wildlifeShort":"Flowers for native cactus bees; fruit for birds and mammals","medicinal":"Its pads (nopales) are studied for helping lower blood sugar, and the pulp was used on burns.","edible":"Its pads (nopales) and fruits (tunas) are edible once the spines and glochids are removed.","caution":"Its tiny barbed glochids are very hard to remove from skin.","facts":["It has been the official state plant of Texas since 1995.","Its anthers curl over when touched, dusting visiting bees with pollen.","Its tiny glochids are often worse than its spines.","Both its pads and fruit are edible."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Opuntia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Opuntia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Opuntia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Opuntia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"rattlesnake-master","name":"Rattlesnake Master","scientific":"Eryngium yuccifolium","family":"Apiaceae (carrot family)","status":"native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Eryngium_yuccifolium","origin":"Eastern and central U.S., including coastal prairies","idTips":"Yucca-like, strap-shaped, blue-green leaves with soft spines on the edges. Tall stems topped with spiky, round, greenish-white flower balls.","bloom":"Jun–Aug","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","host"],"wildlife":"Its flowers draw an unusually wide variety of pollinators, including bees, wasps, flies and beetles. It hosts the rattlesnake master borer moth.","wildlifeShort":"Spiky flower balls draw bees, wasps and beetles","medicinal":"Its name comes from a mistaken belief that it cured rattlesnake bites. Native Americans used it for other ailments.","edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["Its name comes from a mistaken belief that it cured rattlesnake bites.","It looks like a yucca but belongs to the carrot family.","It is a classic plant of tallgrass and coastal prairies.","Its round flower heads look like spiky golf balls."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Eryngium yuccifolium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium_yuccifolium"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Rattlesnake Master","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/eryngium-yuccifolium/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Eryngium yuccifolium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium_yuccifolium"},{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Rattlesnake Master","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERYU"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Rattlesnake Master","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/eryngium-yuccifolium/"}]},"level":3,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"33e":{"level":1}}},{"id":"gulf-muhly","name":"Gulf Muhly","scientific":"Muhlenbergia capillaris","family":"Poaceae (grass family)","status":"native","type":"grass","wiki":"Muhlenbergia_capillaris","origin":"Eastern U.S. and the Gulf Coast","idTips":"Fine-textured clumping grass. In fall it bursts into clouds of airy, glowing pink-purple seed heads.","bloom":"Sep–Nov","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Its seeds feed sparrows and other small seed-eating birds, and its dense clumps give cover to ground-dwelling wildlife.","wildlifeShort":"Seeds and cover for sparrows","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is often called Pink Muhly.","Its fall seed heads form pink clouds that seem to glow when backlit.","It tolerates both drought and salt spray.","Its seed heads stay showy for weeks in fall."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Gulf Muhly","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/muhlenbergia-capillaris/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Muhlenbergia capillaris","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhlenbergia_capillaris"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Gulf Muhly","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/muhlenbergia-capillaris/"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Gulf Muhly","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/muhlenbergia-capillaris/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Muhlenbergia capillaris","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhlenbergia_capillaris"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"34b":{"level":4},"35a":{"level":4}}},{"id":"little-bluestem","name":"Little Bluestem","scientific":"Schizachyrium scoparium","family":"Poaceae (grass family)","status":"native","type":"grass","wiki":"Schizachyrium_scoparium","imageUrl":"https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/163915824/large.jpg","origin":"North America; a dominant grass of the Gulf Coast prairie","idTips":"Clumping bunchgrass with blue-green stems in summer that turn coppery orange-red in fall and winter. Fluffy, silvery seed tufts.","bloom":"Aug–Dec","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"It hosts skipper butterflies, including the dusted and crossline skippers. Sparrows and quail eat its seeds, and its clumps give nesting cover to prairie birds, including the endangered Attwater's Prairie-Chicken.","wildlifeShort":"Skipper host; seeds and nesting cover for prairie birds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is one of the dominant grasses of the Texas coastal prairie.","It turns copper-red in fall and winter.","Its purple-bronze seed heads stay showy through fall and winter.","It is the state grass of Kansas and Nebraska."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Griffith et al., Ecoregions of Texas (EPA)","url":"https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregion-download-files-state-region-6"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Little Bluestem","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/schizachyrium-scoparium/"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Little Bluestem","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/schizachyrium-scoparium/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Schizachyrium scoparium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizachyrium_scoparium"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"31c":{"level":4},"25i":{"level":2},"23a":{"level":2}}},{"id":"inland-sea-oats","name":"Inland Sea Oats","scientific":"Chasmanthium latifolium","family":"Poaceae (grass family)","status":"native","type":"grass","wiki":"Chasmanthium_latifolium","origin":"Eastern U.S., including {place} woodlands and {bayou} banks","idTips":"Shade-loving clumping grass with broad, bamboo-like leaves. Flat, dangling, oat-like seed heads that turn from green to bronze.","bloom":"Jun–Oct","wildlifeTags":["birds","host"],"wildlife":"It hosts several skipper butterflies and the northern pearly-eye. Songbirds and small mammals eat its seeds.","wildlifeShort":"Skipper and pearly-eye host; seeds for songbirds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["Its flat, nodding seed heads turn from green to tan to purplish.","It is one of the few ornamental grasses that thrives in shade.","It is planted on old logging trails to prevent erosion.","Native Americans ground its seed heads into a simple dough."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Inland Sea Oats","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chasmanthium-latifolium/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Chasmanthium latifolium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasmanthium_latifolium"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Inland Sea Oats","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chasmanthium-latifolium/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Chasmanthium latifolium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasmanthium_latifolium"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Chasmanthium latifolium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasmanthium_latifolium"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","regional":{"34b":{"level":4},"31c":{"level":3},"27h":{"level":3}}}],"plants/garden-non-natives":[{"id":"crape-myrtle","name":"Crape Myrtle","scientific":"Lagerstroemia indica","family":"Lythraceae (loosestrife family)","status":"non-native","type":"tree","wiki":"Lagerstroemia_indica","origin":"China and Korea","idTips":"Multi-trunk small tree with smooth, peeling, mottled tan-and-gray bark. Large clusters of crinkled flowers in pink, red, purple or white all summer.","bloom":"May–Sep","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"It has low wildlife value. Bees collect its pollen, but it offers almost no nectar and supports few native caterpillars.","wildlifeShort":"Low value: bees take pollen, but few native insects use it","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["Chopping its branches back hard each winter is nicknamed 'crape murder' and weakens the tree.","Crape myrtle bark scale, an Asian pest first found in Texas in 2004, coats it in black sooty mold.","Its smooth bark peels away in patches.","Its crinkled petals look like crepe paper."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lagerstroemia indica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagerstroemia_indica"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lagerstroemia indica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagerstroemia_indica"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lagerstroemia indica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagerstroemia_indica"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Crape Myrtle","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lagerstroemia-indica/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"azalea","name":"Southern Indica Azalea","scientific":"Rhododendron (Southern Indica hybrids)","family":"Ericaceae (heath family)","status":"non-native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Azalea","imageWiki":"Rhododendron_indicum","origin":"Hybrids of Asian azalea species","idTips":"Evergreen shrub with small, hairy, oval leaves. In early spring it is smothered in large funnel-shaped flowers in magenta, pink, white or salmon.","bloom":"Mar–Apr","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"It has limited value. Butterflies, bees and the occasional hummingbird visit its early flowers. The fragrant native wild azalea of East Texas (Rhododendron canescens) is a better wildlife choice.","wildlifeShort":"Limited value: early nectar for some butterflies and bees","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Every part contains grayanotoxins, which are toxic to people, pets and livestock.","facts":["{place}'s River Oaks Azalea Trail has showcased it every spring since 1935.","It needs acidic soil (pH 4.5 to 6), so it struggles in alkaline clay.","It contains grayanotoxins, the same toxins behind 'mad honey.'","East Texas has a fragrant native relative, the wild azalea."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Azalea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Azalea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Grayanotoxin","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rhododendron canescens","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_canescens"},{"label":"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Wild Azalea (Rhododendron canescens)","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHCA7"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"gardenia","name":"Gardenia","scientific":"Gardenia jasminoides","family":"Rubiaceae (coffee family)","status":"non-native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Gardenia_jasminoides","origin":"Southern China and East Asia","idTips":"Evergreen shrub with very glossy, dark green, deeply veined leaves. Waxy, pure white, intensely fragrant flowers that fade to yellow.","bloom":"Apr–Jun","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"It has low wildlife value. Its scent draws some night-flying moths, but it supports few native insects.","wildlifeShort":"Low value: fragrance draws some night moths","medicinal":"Its fruit (zhi zi) is used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a natural yellow food dye.","edible":"Its flowers are used to scent tea, and its fruit gives a yellow food coloring.","caution":null,"facts":["Its fruit makes a yellow dye used in food and traditional Chinese medicine.","Its leaves yellow in alkaline soil because it can't take up enough iron.","Its white flowers turn creamy yellow as they age.","Its flowers are among the most fragrant in Southern gardens."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Gardenia jasminoides","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardenia_jasminoides"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Gardenia","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gardenia-jasminoides/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Gardenia jasminoides","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardenia_jasminoides"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Gardenia","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gardenia-jasminoides/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Gardenia jasminoides","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardenia_jasminoides"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"oleander","name":"Oleander","scientific":"Nerium oleander","family":"Apocynaceae (dogbane family)","status":"non-native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Nerium","origin":"Mediterranean region to Asia","idTips":"Large evergreen shrub with long, narrow, leathery leaves, often in whorls of three. Clusters of pink, red, white or salmon flowers, single or double.","bloom":"Apr–Oct","wildlifeTags":["host"],"wildlife":"It offers almost nothing to native wildlife, but it hosts the oleander caterpillar (polka-dot wasp moth), which absorbs its toxins.","wildlifeShort":"Hosts the polka-dot wasp moth; toxic to most other wildlife","medicinal":"It contains oleandrin and other heart toxins and has no safe home use.","edible":null,"caution":"Every part is highly poisonous to people, pets and livestock. Never burn it, because the smoke is toxic.","facts":["Galveston is nicknamed 'The Oleander City.'","Every part of it is poisonous, and so is the smoke from burning it.","It tolerates salt spray, so it is common along the coast.","Its caterpillar pest becomes a red-and-black polka-dot wasp moth."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Galveston, Texas","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston,_Texas"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Oleander","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nerium-oleander/"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Nerium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerium"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Nerium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerium"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Oleander","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nerium-oleander/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Nerium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerium"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"sago-palm","name":"Sago Palm","scientific":"Cycas revoluta","family":"Cycadaceae (cycad family)","status":"non-native","type":"palm","wiki":"Cycas_revoluta","origin":"Southern Japan","idTips":"Stout, shaggy trunk topped with a rosette of stiff, glossy, feather-like fronds with sharp, narrow leaflets. Female plants form a golden, felted dome of orange-red seeds.","bloom":"Cones in summer","wildlifeTags":[],"wildlife":"It has essentially no value for local wildlife.","wildlifeShort":"No local wildlife value","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"It is extremely toxic, especially the seeds. Its cycasin causes liver failure and often kills dogs that eat it.","facts":["It is not a palm at all. It is a cycad, an ancient group older than the dinosaurs.","It is toxic to dogs and cats; eating it can cause liver failure and death.","Male and female plants produce different cones.","Its leaflets have spiny tips."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Sago Palm","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cycas-revoluta/"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Cycas revoluta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycas_revoluta"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Cycad","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycad"}],"1":[{"label":"ASPCA Animal Poison Control: Sago Palm","url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/sago-palm"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Cycas revoluta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycas_revoluta"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Sago Palm","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cycas-revoluta/"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Sago Palm","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cycas-revoluta/"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"bougainvillea","name":"Bougainvillea","scientific":"Bougainvillea spp.","family":"Nyctaginaceae (four o'clock family)","status":"non-native","type":"vine","wiki":"Bougainvillea","origin":"South America, especially Brazil","idTips":"Thorny, sprawling vine-shrub covered in papery magenta, pink, orange, red or white 'flowers.' These are actually bracts surrounding tiny white tubular true flowers.","bloom":"Spring–Fall","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"It has low value for local wildlife. Butterflies and occasionally hummingbirds visit its tiny true flowers.","wildlifeShort":"Low value: occasional butterfly and hummingbird visits","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its sharp thorns and sap can irritate skin.","facts":["Its colorful 'petals' are papery bracts. The true flowers are tiny and white.","It is named after French admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville.","It needs little water once established and won't flourish if over-watered.","It is frost-sensitive and reliably hardy only in the warmest zones (USDA 9b and 10)."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Bougainvillea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bougainvillea"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Bougainvillea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bougainvillea"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Bougainvillea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bougainvillea"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Bougainvillea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bougainvillea"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"tropical-hibiscus","name":"Tropical Hibiscus","scientific":"Hibiscus rosa-sinensis","family":"Malvaceae (mallow family)","status":"non-native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Hibiscus_rosa-sinensis","origin":"East Asia; it has been cultivated so long that its exact origin is uncertain","idTips":"Glossy, dark green, toothed leaves. Huge showy flowers with five petals and a long central column of stamens, in red, pink, orange, yellow or bicolors.","bloom":"Spring–Fall","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Hummingbirds and butterflies sometimes visit it, but each flower lasts only about a day.","wildlifeShort":"Occasional hummingbird and butterfly visits","medicinal":"Its flowers are used in traditional teas in Asia and the Pacific.","edible":"Its flowers are edible and used in teas.","caution":null,"facts":["Each flower usually lasts only a day.","It is the national flower of Malaysia.","Frost damages it, so it is often grown in pots and moved to shelter for winter.","Its long central column holds both its stamens and its stigma."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Tropical Hibiscus","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hibiscus-rosa-sinensis/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_rosa-sinensis"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_rosa-sinensis"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Tropical Hibiscus","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hibiscus-rosa-sinensis/"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Tropical Hibiscus","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hibiscus-rosa-sinensis/"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"firebush","name":"Firebush","scientific":"Hamelia patens","family":"Rubiaceae (coffee family)","status":"non-native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Hamelia_patens","origin":"Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America (not native to Texas)","idTips":"Shrub with whorls of pointed leaves, often with reddish veins. Clusters of slim, tubular red-orange flowers at the branch tips. Its berries ripen from green to red to black.","bloom":"May–Nov","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds","pollinators","birds"],"wildlife":"It is one of the best heat-tolerant hummingbird and butterfly plants for {place} and a favorite during fall migration. Birds eat its berries.","wildlifeShort":"Heat-loving hummingbird and butterfly favorite","medicinal":"It is used in traditional medicine in Mexico and Central America on wounds, rashes and insect bites.","edible":"Its fruits are edible but bland.","caution":null,"facts":["It thrives in {place}'s hottest summers when other flowers fade.","It often freezes to the ground but resprouts from its roots.","Its leaves often redden in cool weather.","Its berries ripen from green to red to black."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Texas A&M AgriLife Horticultural Update: Firebush (1996)","url":"https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1624204/m1/1/"}],"1":[{"label":"Texas A&M AgriLife Horticultural Update: Firebush (1996)","url":"https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1624204/m1/1/"},{"label":"Wildflower Center, Mr. Smarty Plants: freeze-back of firebush","url":"https://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=3034"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas A&M AgriLife Horticultural Update: Firebush (1996)","url":"https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1624204/m1/1/"},{"label":"City of Austin Grow Green: Firebush","url":"https://www.austintexas.gov/department/grow-green/plant-guide/firebush"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Hamelia patens","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamelia_patens"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Firebush","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hamelia-patens/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"tropical-milkweed","name":"Tropical Milkweed","scientific":"Asclepias curassavica","family":"Apocynaceae (dogbane family)","status":"non-native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Asclepias_curassavica","origin":"Tropical Americas","idTips":"Upright milkweed with narrow, pointed leaves and milky sap. Clusters of vivid red-orange and yellow flowers. Narrow, upright seed pods.","bloom":"Nearly year-round in mild winters","wildlifeTags":["host","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Monarchs lay eggs on it and butterflies drink its nectar. But on the mild Gulf Coast it keeps growing through winter, which can lead monarchs to breed instead of migrate and lets the parasite OE build up on its leaves.","wildlifeShort":"Monarch host, but its winter growth can spread the OE parasite","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its milky sap is toxic and irritates eyes.","facts":["Experts advise cutting it to the ground in fall and winter on the Gulf Coast.","Its winter leaves can harbor OE, a parasite that weakens monarchs.","It is widely sold in nurseries, though it is native from Mexico to South America, not the U.S.","Native milkweeds die back in winter, but this one often doesn't."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Xerces Society: Milkweed FAQs","url":"https://www.xerces.org/milkweed-faq"},{"label":"Monarch Joint Venture: Tropical milkweed and OE","url":"https://mjv.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/documents/Tropical-Milkweed-and-OE-Potential-Risks-for-Monarchs.pdf"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Tropical Milkweed","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/asclepias-curassavica/"}],"2":[{"label":"Xerces Society: Milkweed FAQs","url":"https://www.xerces.org/milkweed-faq"},{"label":"Monarch Joint Venture: Tropical milkweed and OE","url":"https://mjv.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/documents/Tropical-Milkweed-and-OE-Potential-Risks-for-Monarchs.pdf"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Asclepias curassavica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_curassavica"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"pentas","name":"Pentas","scientific":"Pentas lanceolata","family":"Rubiaceae (coffee family)","status":"non-native","type":"perennial","wiki":"Pentas_lanceolata","origin":"Eastern Africa and Yemen","idTips":"Bushy plant with hairy, veined leaves. Rounded clusters of small, five-pointed star-shaped flowers in red, pink, lavender or white.","bloom":"Apr–Nov","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","hummingbirds"],"wildlife":"It is a strong nectar plant for butterflies and hummingbirds all summer. Red-flowered types draw the most hummingbirds.","wildlifeShort":"Summer nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"facts":["It is also called Egyptian Star Cluster.","Each tiny flower has five points, like a star.","Red varieties attract the most hummingbirds.","It belongs to the coffee family."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pentas lanceolata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentas_lanceolata"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Pentas","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pentas-lanceolata/"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Pentas","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pentas-lanceolata/"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Pentas","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pentas-lanceolata/"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Pentas","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pentas-lanceolata/"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"plumbago","name":"Cape Plumbago","scientific":"Plumbago auriculata","family":"Plumbaginaceae (leadwort family)","status":"non-native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Plumbago_auriculata","origin":"South Africa","idTips":"Mounding, sprawling shrub with light green, spoon-shaped leaves. Phlox-like clusters of sky-blue (or white) flowers with sticky, hairy bases.","bloom":"Apr–Nov","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","host"],"wildlife":"Butterflies visit it, and it is a host plant for the tiny cassius blue butterfly.","wildlifeShort":"Butterfly nectar; host for the cassius blue","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its sap can irritate skin.","facts":["Its sap can irritate skin, so gardeners wear gloves when handling it.","Its sticky sepals can trap insects as big as a housefly.","It hosts the tiny cassius blue butterfly.","It comes from South Africa, where it grows as a scrambling evergreen shrub."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Cape Plumbago","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/plumbago-auriculata/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Plumbago auriculata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumbago_auriculata"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Leptotes cassius","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptotes_cassius"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Plumbago auriculata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumbago_auriculata"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"common-lantana","name":"Common Lantana","scientific":"Lantana camara","family":"Verbenaceae (verbena family)","status":"non-native","type":"shrub","wiki":"Lantana_camara","origin":"Tropical Central and South America","idTips":"Shrubby plant with rough, toothed, aromatic leaves. Flat-topped clusters of small flowers in many colors, often bicolored, such as pink and yellow. Black berries.","bloom":"Apr–Nov","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","hummingbirds","birds"],"wildlife":"It is a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. Birds eat and spread its berries, which is how it has invaded other parts of the world.","wildlifeShort":"Butterfly magnet; birds spread its berries","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its leaves and green berries are toxic to people, pets and livestock.","facts":["It is one of the world's worst invasive plants in places like Australia and Hawaii.","It hybridizes with native Texas lantana.","Garden varieties come in nearly every color combination.","Its leaves have a strong scent when crushed."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lantana camara","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana_camara"}],"1":[{"label":"Texas Master Gardeners: A Guilt-Free Lantana","url":"https://txmg.org/hendersonmg/publicity/a-guilt-free-lantana/"},{"label":"Texas Invasives: Common Lantana","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=LACA2"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Common Lantana","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lantana-camara/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lantana camara","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana_camara"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Common Lantana","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lantana-camara/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"mexican-fan-palm","name":"Mexican Fan Palm","scientific":"Washingtonia robusta","family":"Arecaceae (palm family)","status":"non-native","type":"palm","wiki":"Washingtonia_robusta","origin":"Baja California and Sonora, Mexico","idTips":"Very tall, skinny palm with a slightly flared base and a small crown of bright green fan-shaped leaves on spiny stalks. Old dead leaves may hang down as a 'skirt.'","bloom":"Spring–Summer","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Birds eat its small dark fruits, and its skirt of dead fronds can shelter bats and birds. Its overall wildlife value is low compared with native trees.","wildlifeShort":"Fruit for some birds; dead fronds shelter bats","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its leaf stalks have sharp, hooked teeth.","facts":["It can grow 80–100 feet tall on a very slender trunk.","Its genus is named for George Washington.","Its leaf stalks are armed with sharp teeth.","It has escaped from gardens and naturalized in Texas and other southern states."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Mexican Fan Palm","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/washingtonia-robusta/"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Washingtonia robusta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washingtonia_robusta"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Mexican Fan Palm","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/washingtonia-robusta/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Washingtonia robusta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washingtonia_robusta"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Mexican Fan Palm","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/washingtonia-robusta/"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Mexican Fan Palm","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/washingtonia-robusta/"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Washingtonia robusta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washingtonia_robusta"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"}],"plants/invasives":[{"id":"chinese-tallow","name":"Chinese Tallow","scientific":"Triadica sebifera","family":"Euphorbiaceae (spurge family)","status":"invasive","type":"tree","wiki":"Triadica_sebifera","origin":"China","idTips":"Fast-growing tree with heart- or diamond-shaped leaves with a long drip tip, on long stalks. Brilliant red, orange and purple fall color. Three-lobed capsules split open to show popcorn-white waxy seeds.","bloom":"Apr–Jun","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"Bees make honey from its flowers and some birds eat its waxy seeds, but it destroys far more habitat than it provides, turning open coastal prairie into dense tallow forest.","wildlifeShort":"Some bee and bird use, but it converts native prairie into forest","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its milky sap, leaves and seeds are toxic and can irritate skin.","invasive":{"impact":"It is the most aggressive invasive tree on the Upper Texas Coast. It converts coastal prairie into single-species forest, crowds out native trees and changes soil chemistry.","spread":"Birds and water carry its waxy white seeds long distances, and it resprouts vigorously from roots and stumps.","spreadShort":"Seeds spread by birds and water; resprouts from roots","removal":"Hand-pull seedlings with all their roots. For trees, use a cut-stump or basal-bark treatment with triclopyr herbicide right away, because cutting alone causes vigorous resprouting.","removalShort":"Pull seedlings; cut-stump + triclopyr on trees (cutting alone triggers resprouts)","legal":"It is on the Texas Department of Agriculture's noxious and invasive plant list, so selling or distributing it is illegal in Texas.","alternative":"For fall color, plant native Sweetgum, Bald Cypress or Possumhaw."},"facts":["It was promoted along the Gulf Coast in the early 1900s as a seed-oil crop.","Its white seeds look like popcorn, so it's also called 'popcorn tree.'","The USDA spread it along the Gulf Coast in the 1900s, hoping to start a soap industry.","Left unmanaged, it can turn native prairie into a forest of nothing but itself."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Texas Invasives species page (legal status flags)","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=TRSE6"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Chinese Tallow","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/triadica-sebifera/"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Chinese Tallow","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=TRSE6"}],"3":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Chinese Tallow","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=TRSE6"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"chinaberry","name":"Chinaberry","scientific":"Melia azedarach","family":"Meliaceae (mahogany family)","status":"invasive","type":"tree","wiki":"Melia_azedarach","origin":"Southeast Asia and northern Australia","idTips":"Fast-growing tree with large, lacy, twice-compound leaves of toothed leaflets. Fragrant lilac-purple flower clusters in spring. Hanging clusters of round, wrinkled yellow berries that last all winter.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Robins and Cedar Waxwings eat its berries, sometimes gorging on fermented fruit until they act 'drunk.' This spreads its seeds, while the tree displaces native vegetation.","wildlifeShort":"Birds spread its berries; it displaces native trees","medicinal":"It is used in traditional Asian medicine, but it is highly toxic.","edible":null,"caution":"Its fruit, bark and leaves are poisonous to people, pets and livestock.","invasive":{"impact":"It forms dense thickets along roadsides, fencelines and riverbanks, shading out native plants.","spread":"Birds eat its berries and drop the seeds, and it also spreads by root sprouts.","spreadShort":"Bird-spread berries; root sprouts form thickets","removal":"Pull seedlings. Treat larger trees with a cut-stump or basal-bark application of triclopyr, and remove trees before they fruit.","removalShort":"Pull seedlings; cut-stump or basal-bark herbicide","legal":"It is on the Texas Department of Agriculture's invasive plant list.","alternative":"Plant native Mexican Plum, Eastern Redbud or Carolina Cherry Laurel instead."},"facts":["Birds that gorge on its fermented berries can act intoxicated.","Its berries are poisonous to people and pets.","Its wrinkled yellow berries hang on bare branches all winter.","It is related to mahogany and neem."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Melia azedarach","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melia_azedarach"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Melia azedarach","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melia_azedarach"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Melia azedarach","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melia_azedarach"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Chinaberry","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/melia-azedarach/"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Melia azedarach","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melia_azedarach"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"chinese-privet","name":"Chinese Privet","scientific":"Ligustrum sinense","family":"Oleaceae (olive family)","status":"invasive","type":"shrub","wiki":"Ligustrum_sinense","origin":"China","idTips":"Evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub with small, opposite, oval leaves on fuzzy twigs. Masses of small, white, strong-smelling flowers in spring. Blue-black berries.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Birds eat its berries in winter and spread it widely. Its dense thickets crowd out the native understory that wildlife depend on.","wildlifeShort":"Birds spread its berries; its thickets crowd out natives","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its berries are mildly toxic to people, and its pollen can trigger allergies and asthma near the plants.","invasive":{"impact":"It is one of the worst invaders of {place} {bayou} and bottomland forests, forming dense, shady thickets that crowd out native shrubs and wildflowers.","spread":"Birds drop its seeds in woods and along fencelines, and it spreads by root suckers.","spreadShort":"Bird-dropped seeds and root suckers","removal":"Pull or dig small plants with a weed wrench. Cut larger stems and treat the stumps with glyphosate or triclopyr. Spraying the leaves in winter works well because privet stays green while natives are dormant.","removalShort":"Weed-wrench small plants; cut-stump or winter foliar herbicide","legal":"It is not on the TDA list, but Texas Invasives ranks it among the region's worst invaders.","alternative":"For a native evergreen hedge, plant Yaupon Holly or Wax Myrtle."},"facts":["Its small leaves, up to 2 inches long, are opposite and often notched at the tip.","It forms dense thickets in bottomland forests and along fencerows.","It was brought to the U.S. as an ornamental in 1852.","Many people find the smell of its spring flowers unpleasant."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Chinese Privet","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=LISI"}],"1":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Chinese Privet","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=LISI"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Chinese Privet","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=LISI"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Chinese Privet","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ligustrum-sinense/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"nandina","name":"Nandina","scientific":"Nandina domestica","family":"Berberidaceae (barberry family)","status":"invasive","type":"shrub","wiki":"Nandina_domestica","origin":"China and Japan","idTips":"Upright, cane-like stems with lacy compound leaves that turn red in winter. Clusters of bright red berries in fall and winter.","bloom":"May–Jul","wildlifeTags":[],"wildlife":"Birds eat its berries and spread its seeds into woods, but the berries release cyanide, and flocks of Cedar Waxwings that gorge on them in late winter have died.","wildlifeShort":"Birds spread its seeds, but its berries can poison them","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Every part, especially the berries, contains cyanogenic compounds that are toxic to birds, pets and livestock.","invasive":{"impact":"It escapes into woodlands and {bayou} forests, crowding out native understory plants, and its berries poison birds.","spread":"Birds drop its seeds, and it spreads by underground rhizomes.","spreadShort":"Bird-dropped seeds and rhizomes","removal":"Dig out the entire root mass, or cut the stems and treat them with glyphosate. At minimum, clip the berry clusters before they ripen.","removalShort":"Dig out roots or cut + herbicide; clip the berries first","legal":"It is not on the TDA list but is recognized as invasive by Texas Invasives. Sterile, berry-free varieties are sold.","alternative":"For native berries, plant American Beautyberry or Yaupon Holly."},"facts":["It is also called Heavenly Bamboo, though it is not a bamboo.","Its berries have killed Cedar Waxwings through cyanide poisoning.","Its leaves turn red in winter.","A single plant seldom fruits heavily; it berries best in groups."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Nandina domestica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandina_domestica"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Nandina domestica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandina_domestica"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Nandina","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nandina-domestica/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Nandina domestica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandina_domestica"}],"3":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Nandina","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=NADO"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"camphor-tree","name":"Camphor Tree","scientific":"Camphora officinarum (syn. Cinnamomum camphora)","family":"Lauraceae (laurel family)","status":"invasive","type":"tree","wiki":"Camphora_officinarum","origin":"China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan","idTips":"Large, rounded evergreen tree with glossy, pointed leaves that have three main veins and smell strongly of camphor when crushed. New growth is often reddish. Small black berries.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Birds eat its black berries and spread the seeds, but it offers far less than native trees.","wildlifeShort":"Birds spread its berries; little value for native insects","medicinal":"It is the traditional natural source of camphor, used in chest rubs and liniments.","edible":null,"caution":"Camphor is toxic if swallowed.","invasive":{"impact":"It spreads from yards into woodlands, where it crowds out native trees and shrubs.","spread":"Birds drop its seeds, and it also spreads by root suckers.","spreadShort":"Bird-dropped seeds and root suckers","removal":"Pull seedlings. Cut larger trees and treat the stumps with triclopyr or glyphosate, or use a basal-bark treatment.","removalShort":"Pull seedlings; cut-stump with herbicide","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives.","alternative":"For native evergreen shade, plant Southern Magnolia or Live Oak."},"facts":["Its crushed leaves smell like menthol chest rub.","It is the traditional natural source of camphor.","Its leaves have three main veins from the base.","Oil from its leaves, grown in Madagascar, is sold as ravintsara."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Camphora officinarum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphora_officinarum"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Camphora officinarum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphora_officinarum"}],"2":[{"label":"Jepson eFlora: Cinnamomum camphora","url":"https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=19477"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Camphora officinarum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphora_officinarum"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"mimosa","name":"Mimosa","scientific":"Albizia julibrissin","family":"Fabaceae (pea family)","status":"invasive","type":"tree","wiki":"Albizia_julibrissin","origin":"Iran to China","idTips":"Small, flat-topped tree with feathery, fern-like, twice-compound leaves that fold at night. Fluffy pink powder-puff flowers. Flat, papery bean pods.","bloom":"May–Jul","wildlifeTags":["hummingbirds","pollinators"],"wildlife":"Hummingbirds and butterflies visit its powder-puff flowers, but it displaces native plants, so its overall effect on habitat is negative.","wildlifeShort":"Hummingbirds visit, but it crowds out native plants","medicinal":"Its bark and flowers are used in traditional Chinese medicine as calming herbs.","edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It invades forest edges, roadsides and riverbanks, and its seeds stay viable in the soil for years.","spread":"It makes huge numbers of long-lived seeds in pods that drop or wash downstream, and it resprouts from its roots.","spreadShort":"Masses of long-lived seeds; root sprouts","removal":"Pull seedlings. Cut trees and treat the stumps with herbicide, because they resprout heavily otherwise. Watch for seedlings for years.","removalShort":"Pull seedlings; cut-stump + herbicide; watch the seed bank","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives.","alternative":"Plant Eastern Redbud, or native Turk's Cap for hummingbirds."},"facts":["It is also called Silk Tree.","Its leaflets fold up at night.","Its seeds can survive in soil for many years.","Its pink 'flowers' are mostly long, silky stamens."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Albizia julibrissin","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Albizia julibrissin","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Mimosa","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=ALJU"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Albizia julibrissin","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"japanese-honeysuckle","name":"Japanese Honeysuckle","scientific":"Lonicera japonica","family":"Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle family)","status":"invasive","type":"vine","wiki":"Lonicera_japonica","origin":"Japan, China and Korea","idTips":"Twining semi-evergreen vine with opposite, oval leaves. Very fragrant, paired tubular flowers that open white and age to yellow. Black berries.","bloom":"Apr–Jun","wildlifeTags":["pollinators","birds"],"wildlife":"Bees and moths visit its flowers and birds eat its berries, but it smothers native plants and replaces far better habitat.","wildlifeShort":"Some bee and bird use, but it smothers native plants","medicinal":"It is used in traditional Chinese medicine (jin yin hua) for fevers and infections.","edible":"Its nectar can be sipped from the flowers.","caution":"Its berries are mildly toxic.","invasive":{"impact":"It blankets the ground, strangles young trees, and climbs over and smothers shrubs at forest edges.","spread":"Birds spread its berries, and its vines root wherever they touch the ground.","spreadShort":"Bird-spread berries; vines root wherever they touch soil","removal":"Pull the vines and dig out the roots. For large patches, spray the leaves with glyphosate in fall or early winter, when it stays green after natives go dormant.","removalShort":"Pull and dig; fall/winter foliar herbicide","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives.","alternative":"Plant native Coral Honeysuckle instead."},"facts":["Its flowers open white and turn yellow as they age.","Kids often sip the nectar from its flowers.","Native Coral Honeysuckle is the recommended replacement.","Its vines root wherever they touch the ground."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lonicera japonica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonicera_japonica"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Japanese Honeysuckle","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lonicera-japonica/"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Japanese Honeysuckle","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lonicera-japonica/"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lonicera sempervirens","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonicera_sempervirens"}],"3":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Japanese Honeysuckle","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=LOJA"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"chinese-wisteria","name":"Chinese Wisteria","scientific":"Wisteria sinensis","family":"Fabaceae (pea family)","status":"invasive","type":"vine","wiki":"Wisteria_sinensis","origin":"China","idTips":"Massive, woody, twining vine with compound leaves of 7–13 leaflets. Long, hanging clusters of fragrant lavender flowers in early spring, before the leaves fully open. Velvety pods.","bloom":"Mar–Apr","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"Carpenter bees and bumblebees visit its flowers, but its massive vines kill trees and destroy native habitat.","wildlifeShort":"Bees visit, but its vines strangle and topple trees","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":"Its seeds and pods are toxic.","invasive":{"impact":"Its vines can girdle, smother and topple mature trees, and it forms dense thickets in woodlands.","spread":"It spreads by long runners (stolons) and by seeds in pods that wash downstream.","spreadShort":"Runners and waterborne seed pods","removal":"Cut the vines near the ground and treat the cut stems with concentrated glyphosate or triclopyr. Pull out the runners and watch for resprouts.","removalShort":"Cut vines + treat stems with herbicide; pull runners","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives.","alternative":"Plant native American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens), which is far less aggressive."},"facts":["Its woody vines can grow as thick as a tree trunk.","It blooms before its leaves fully open.","It is more sensitive to cold than its native American relative.","It can live for decades while slowly strangling its host trees."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Chinese Wisteria","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/wisteria-sinensis/"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Chinese Wisteria","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/wisteria-sinensis/"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Wisteria sinensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_sinensis"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Wisteria sinensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_sinensis"}],"3":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Chinese Wisteria","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=WISI"}]},"level":3,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"cats-claw-vine","name":"Cat's Claw Vine","scientific":"Dolichandra unguis-cati","family":"Bignoniaceae (trumpet creeper family)","status":"invasive","type":"vine","wiki":"Dolichandra_unguis-cati","origin":"Mexico, Central and South America","idTips":"Vine that climbs with three-pronged, hooked tendrils like a cat's claws. Paired, glossy leaflets. Bright yellow trumpet flowers in spring. Long, flat seed pods.","bloom":"Mar–May","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"Bees visit its flowers, but it smothers trees and native plants in {place} yards and along {bayou}s.","wildlifeShort":"Bees visit, but it smothers trees and native plants","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It climbs over and blankets fences, walls and tall trees, blocking light and weighing down branches.","spread":"Its winged seeds blow on the wind, and its underground tubers resprout after cutting.","spreadShort":"Wind-blown winged seeds and underground tubers","removal":"Cut the vines at the base and treat the stems with herbicide, then dig out the tubers. Expect resprouts for several seasons.","removalShort":"Cut + herbicide on stems; dig out the tubers","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives.","alternative":"For spring trumpet flowers, plant native Crossvine."},"facts":["It grips surfaces with tiny three-pronged claws.","Its underground tubers make it very hard to kill.","Its winged seeds float away on the wind.","Its spring flowers are bright yellow trumpets."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Cat's Claw Vine","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=MAUN3"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Dolichandra unguis-cati","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolichandra_unguis-cati"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Cat's Claw Vine","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=MAUN3"}],"3":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Cat's Claw Vine","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=MAUN3"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Dolichandra unguis-cati","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolichandra_unguis-cati"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"japanese-climbing-fern","name":"Japanese Climbing Fern","scientific":"Lygodium japonicum","family":"Lygodiaceae (climbing fern family)","status":"invasive","type":"fern","wiki":"Lygodium_japonicum","origin":"East and tropical Asia","idTips":"A fern that climbs like a vine. Lacy, triangular, finely divided fronds on thin, wiry stems that twine up shrubs and trees. It turns brown in winter but persists.","bloom":"Spores late summer–fall","wildlifeTags":[],"wildlife":"It has no wildlife benefit and smothers native understory in pine forests and bottomlands.","wildlifeShort":"No wildlife value; it smothers forest understory","medicinal":"Its spores are used in traditional Chinese medicine.","edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It forms dense mats that smother understory plants and climbs into tree canopies, where its dead fronds act as a 'fire ladder' that carries flames upward.","spread":"It spreads by huge numbers of wind-blown spores, and on pine straw bales, equipment and boots.","spreadShort":"Wind-blown spores; hitchhikes on pine straw bales","removal":"Spray the leaves with glyphosate or metsulfuron in summer or fall. Carefully bag fronds that have spores, and avoid pine straw from infested areas.","removalShort":"Foliar herbicide; bag spore-bearing fronds; avoid infested pine straw","legal":"It is not on the TDA noxious list, but Texas Invasives tracks it as a serious invader. It was first found in Texas in 1937, in Orange County.","alternative":"No replacement is needed. Let the native understory recover."},"facts":["It is a fern that climbs like a vine.","It often spreads in bales of pine straw mulch.","Its dead fronds can carry fire up into tree canopies.","Each climbing 'vine' is actually a single, endlessly growing leaf."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lygodium japonicum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygodium_japonicum"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Japanese Climbing Fern","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lygodium-japonicum/"}],"1":[{"label":"Texas Invasives species page (legal status flags)","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=LYJA"}],"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lygodium japonicum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygodium_japonicum"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lygodium japonicum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygodium_japonicum"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"elephant-ear","name":"Elephant Ear","scientific":"Colocasia esculenta","family":"Araceae (arum family)","status":"invasive","type":"aquatic","wiki":"Taro","origin":"Southeast Asia","idTips":"Huge, heart-shaped leaves on tall stalks, with the stalk attached partway into the leaf blade. It grows in dense colonies along {bayou}s and ditches.","bloom":"Rarely flowers in Texas","wildlifeTags":[],"wildlife":"It offers little or nothing to native wildlife and crowds out native bank plants that feed and shelter animals.","wildlifeShort":"Little value; it crowds out native {bayou} plants","medicinal":null,"edible":"Its corms (taro root) are a staple food worldwide, but only after thorough cooking.","caution":"Raw plants contain calcium oxalate crystals that burn the mouth and irritate skin.","invasive":{"impact":"It forms dense stands along {place} {bayou}s and lake edges, replacing native wetland plants.","spread":"Its corms and fragments break off, float downstream and root where they land. It also spreads by runners.","spreadShort":"Floating corms and fragments; runners","removal":"Dig out the entire corm, because any piece left behind regrows. Treat large stands with an herbicide labeled for aquatic use, and never dump it near water.","removalShort":"Dig out all corms; aquatic-labeled herbicide","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives.","alternative":"Along water, plant native Pickerelweed or Louisiana Iris."},"facts":["It is one of the most ancient cultivated crops.","It is the same species as the food crop taro.","In Texas it has naturalized along {bayou}s and lakes around Galveston Bay.","Raw plants contain needle-like crystals that burn the mouth."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Taro","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Taro","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Elephant Ear","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=COES"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Taro","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Taro","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"mexican-petunia","name":"Mexican Petunia","scientific":"Ruellia simplex","family":"Acanthaceae (acanthus family)","status":"invasive","type":"perennial","wiki":"Ruellia_simplex","origin":"Mexico, the Caribbean and South America","idTips":"Tall clumps of dark purplish stems with long, narrow leaves. Trumpet-shaped purple (sometimes pink or white) flowers that last a day. It spreads into dense colonies.","bloom":"Apr–Nov","wildlifeTags":["pollinators"],"wildlife":"Bees and some butterflies visit its flowers, but its dense colonies push out native wetland plants.","wildlifeShort":"Some bee visits, but it forms colonies that push out natives","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It escapes into ditches, wetlands and riverbanks and forms dense colonies that displace native plants.","spread":"Its seed capsules burst and fling seeds, which water carries off, and it spreads by rhizomes.","spreadShort":"Exploding seed pods and rhizomes","removal":"Dig out all the rhizomes, or spray large patches with glyphosate. Even varieties sold as 'sterile' spread by their roots.","removalShort":"Dig out all rhizomes or spray glyphosate","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives and as a Category I invasive in Florida.","alternative":"Plant a native wild petunia, such as Ruellia humilis or Ruellia nudiflora."},"facts":["Its seed capsules explode and fling seeds several feet.","Varieties sold as 'sterile' still spread by rhizomes.","Its native Texas lookalike is Ruellia nudiflora.","Each flower lasts about one day."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Mexican Petunia","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ruellia-simplex/"}],"1":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Mexican Petunia","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ruellia-simplex/"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Mexican Petunia","url":"https://texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=RUCA19"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Mexican Petunia","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ruellia-simplex/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"macartney-rose","name":"Macartney Rose","scientific":"Rosa bracteata","family":"Rosaceae (rose family)","status":"invasive","type":"shrub","wiki":"Rosa_bracteata","origin":"China and Taiwan","idTips":"Sprawling, thorny evergreen rose with paired hooked thorns and small, glossy, dark leaflets. Single white flowers with a golden center. Orange-red hips.","bloom":"Apr–Nov","wildlifeTags":["birds"],"wildlife":"Its thickets give some cover, and birds and mammals eat its hips and spread its seeds, but it destroys the coastal prairie that rare grassland birds need.","wildlifeShort":"Wildlife spread its hips; its thickets destroy coastal prairie","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It forms impenetrable thorny thickets that take over coastal prairie pastures, reducing forage and grassland bird habitat.","spread":"Birds, mammals and cattle eat its hips and spread the seeds, and its canes root where they touch the ground.","spreadShort":"Hips spread by birds and cattle; canes root where they touch soil","removal":"It is very hard to remove. Mechanical removal of the crowns, combined with herbicide and prescribed burning, works best.","removalShort":"Mechanical crown removal + herbicide + prescribed fire","legal":"It is listed as invasive by Texas Invasives.","alternative":"Restore native prairie grasses and wildflowers."},"facts":["It was once planted in Texas as a 'living fence' for livestock.","Its dense thickets crowd out native grasses and cut cattle pasture.","Its single white flowers have a golden center.","Its stems are armed with hooked, curved-back thorns."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rosa bracteata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_bracteata"},{"label":"Texas Invasives: Macartney Rose","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=ROBR"}],"1":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Macartney Rose","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=ROBR"}],"2":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Macartney Rose","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=ROBR"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Rosa bracteata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_bracteata"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rosa bracteata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_bracteata"}]},"level":2,"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"deep-rooted-sedge","name":"Deep-rooted Sedge","scientific":"Cyperus entrerianus","family":"Cyperaceae (sedge family)","status":"invasive","type":"grass","wiki":"Cyperus_entrerianus","imageUrl":"https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/25257994/large.jpeg","origin":"South America","idTips":"Grass-like sedge with a triangular stem, wide rough-edged leaves and a dark reddish-purple base. Clusters of tiny, tight, whitish-green spikelets top the stems.","bloom":"Summer–Fall","wildlifeTags":[],"wildlife":"It has little value for wildlife and forms dense monocultures that replace native prairie and wetland plants.","wildlifeShort":"Little value; it forms dense monocultures","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It has spread rapidly across Gulf Coast roadsides, pastures and wetlands, crowding out native grasses.","spread":"Each plant makes huge numbers of tiny seeds, which mowers, vehicles and water carry along roads and ditches.","spreadShort":"Masses of tiny seeds spread by mowers and water","removal":"Dig out young plants with their roots before they set seed, spray larger stands with herbicide, and clean mowing equipment.","removalShort":"Dig before it seeds; herbicide; clean mowers","legal":"It is on the Texas Department of Agriculture's noxious and invasive plant list, so selling or distributing it is illegal in Texas.","alternative":"Let native prairie grasses re-establish."},"facts":["Roadside mowers spread its seeds for miles.","Like all sedges, it has a triangular stem.","It was accidentally introduced to Texas in 1941.","Its leaf bases are purple-black."],"level":3,"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Texas Invasives species page (legal status flags)","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=CYEN2"}],"1":[{"label":"Texas Invasives: Deep-rooted Sedge","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=CYEN2"},{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Deep-rooted Sedge","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cyperus-entrerianus/"}],"2":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Deep-rooted Sedge","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cyperus-entrerianus/"},{"label":"Texas Invasives: Deep-rooted Sedge","url":"https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=CYEN2"}],"3":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Deep-rooted Sedge","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cyperus-entrerianus/"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"water-hyacinth","name":"Water Hyacinth","scientific":"Pontederia crassipes","family":"Pontederiaceae (pickerelweed family)","status":"invasive","type":"aquatic","wiki":"Pontederia_crassipes","origin":"Amazon Basin, South America","idTips":"Free-floating plant with glossy, rounded leaves on swollen, spongy stalks. Spikes of lavender flowers with a yellow spot on the top petal. Feathery dark roots hang in the water.","bloom":"Spring–Fall","wildlifeTags":[],"wildlife":"It is harmful to wildlife. Its mats block sunlight and deplete oxygen, killing fish and native aquatic plants.","wildlifeShort":"Its mats block light and oxygen, killing fish","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It is one of the world's worst aquatic weeds. Its mats can double in size in about two weeks, clogging boating, drainage and water intakes.","spread":"It spreads by daughter plants, by fragments carried on boats and currents, and by seeds that survive for years.","spreadShort":"Daughter plants and fragments carried by boats and currents","removal":"It is controlled by mechanical harvesting, herbicide applied by licensed professionals, and weevils released as biological control. Always Clean, Drain and Dry your boat.","removalShort":"Harvesting, licensed herbicide and weevils; Clean, Drain, Dry","legal":"It is on the Texas Department of Agriculture's noxious list and prohibited by Texas Parks and Wildlife, so possessing or transporting it is illegal.","alternative":"For water gardens, use native Pickerelweed."},"facts":["Its swollen, air-filled leaf stalks keep it afloat.","Its mats can double in size in about two weeks.","It is illegal to possess in Texas.","Weevils are released to control it."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Water Hyacinth","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pontederia-crassipes/"}],"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pontederia crassipes","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontederia_crassipes"}],"2":[{"label":"TPWD: Prohibited aquatic plants","url":"https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/prohibited_aquatic.phtml"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Pontederia crassipes","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontederia_crassipes"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS"},{"id":"giant-salvinia","name":"Giant Salvinia","scientific":"Salvinia molesta","family":"Salviniaceae (floating fern family)","status":"invasive","type":"aquatic","wiki":"Salvinia_molesta","origin":"Southeastern Brazil","idTips":"Small floating fern with paired, oval, folded leaves covered in hairs that join at the tip like tiny eggbeaters. It forms thick green-to-brown mats.","bloom":"Does not flower (fern)","wildlifeTags":[],"wildlife":"It is harmful to wildlife. Its thick mats block sunlight and oxygen, killing fish and native aquatic plants and degrading waterfowl habitat.","wildlifeShort":"Its mats smother lakes, killing fish and plants","medicinal":null,"edible":null,"caution":null,"invasive":{"impact":"It has infested East Texas lakes such as Lake Conroe and Caddo Lake, where mats can grow more than two feet thick and cover entire coves.","spread":"Its fragments hitchhike on boats, trailers and live wells, and each fragment can grow into a new plant.","spreadShort":"Fragments hitchhike on boats and trailers","removal":"Salvinia weevils are raised in Texas as biological control, and licensed herbicide treatments are also used. Always Clean, Drain and Dry your boat.","removalShort":"Salvinia weevils, herbicide, and Clean, Drain, Dry","legal":"It is prohibited by Texas Parks and Wildlife and on the TDA noxious list, so possessing or transporting it is illegal.","alternative":"No replacement is needed. Focus on pr