Hill Country: Right seed, right location

CREEKSIDE AT THE CIBOLO

I never thought I would write an article about seeds, but then I had a thought while walking the margins of The Cibolo.

We have a massive seed bank within the soil just waiting for the right moment. We know the home ranges so why not go local with the seed harvest? It’s free.

Late summer is quickly turning into autumn and the native plants have kicked fruit and seed production into high gear. It is important to note that I will only reference plants that are native to the Texas Hill Country.

The goal of every plant in the Texas Hill Country is to produce a seed, distribute it by any means possible and increase its range. The plant life cycle in six words: seed, root, stem, leaves, flower and fruit, repeat six times. Seasonal variations can occur, but we aim for the spring rise, summer growth and fall harvest. (See past “Dark Season and Light Season” articles).

Many plants have developed highly specialized seed distribution methods, and the primary method comes in the form of being eaten.

Many seeds require mechanical scarification or gastric acid interaction to germinate, so the sweeter the fruit the better. Birds have firm control of this process, just ask the ashe juniper and sugarberry.

Other woodland fruit offerings might include anaqua, persimmon, Carolina buckthorn, gum bumelia, possum haw, escarpment black cherry, mustang grape, Virginia creeper and Mexican plum.

A special mention will go out to Bois d’Arc (horse apple) since it was a favorite food item of mastodons, mammoths, ground sloths and many other megafauna now extinct.

If you are not sweet enough to eat you will need to grab a ride. The “travelers” have developed highly specialized seed coats that allow them to stick, cling, poke and claw into an animal’s fur for distribution.

Some of the Hill Country favorites might include beggar’s lice, cockle burr, bed straw, spear grass, sand spurs, nutsedge and, my favorite, devil’s claw. Pro tip: Mane ’n tail detangler!

Nuts: Armored seeds that are typically very tasty and usually defeated by squirrels. These nut-bearing trees are often referred to as “mast” crops and work the statistical probability of re-seeding.

These trees produce a massive number of nuts but only a few will avoid being fed upon, browsed or cleared. (see “Brush use theory” article). The short list of these trees might include pecan, black walnut, mountain laurel, Texas buckeye, Mexican buckeye and all oaks. Special mention to the bald cypress and cone production.

The airborne seed category is wildly varied and capable of traveling great distances. Many airborne seed species are light by design, which allows them to become aloft through silky parachutes, wooly masses, wings or wafer-like discs.

Some of the common airborne travelers might include milkweed, cottonwood, cedar elm, big tooth maple, baccharis and sycamore. Airborne seeds can be considered waterborne in many cases.

Native grass seed readily roams but tends to “radiate” from a well-established center point. Grass seeds will show twice a year, in late spring and fall, which is helpful within your management plan. The stars of the Texas Hill Country grass community are switch grass, Canada wildrye, Lindheimer muhly, Indian grass, sideoats grama, little blue stem, gamma grass and battle-tested inland sea oats.

“Right seed, right location” is the time-honored mantra of all land managers — so harvest some native seeds this autumn, make note of the parent seed source, observe growth habits ... and plant.

The fall projects are almost here and never miss a chance to create wildland connections See you in the prairie.

David Touchon is Land Manager for the Cibolo Center for Conservation.