Cedar Waxwings on the Prairie and Invasive Plants

Cedar waxwings are busy feasting on the berries of trees and shrubs all across north Texas. 

They ate all the berries from my possumhaw hollies, Ilex decidua, a couple of days ago and then moved across the street for a Japanese buffet courtesy of a large Japanese ligustrum, Ligustrum lucidum, pictured above.

Of course, what goes in must come out. So everywhere the cedar waxwings go, they will more than likely be dropping the seeds of their feasts. 

If you look closely, you can see some of the seeds the cedar waxwings dropped on the sidewalk in front of my house while they perched on an overhanging tree limb.  Every year numerous Japanese ligustrum seedlings sprout under trees and shrubs and around the bird baths in my garden because the birds did what comes naturally after eating their fill of berries. But I don't blame the birds. They were hungry and they ate the food that was available to them.

Birds are an effective means of seed disbursal. When birds fly from areas landscaped with non-native plant species into native plant habitats for food and shelter, they often carry inside them the seeds of non-native plants. Once the birds release the seeds, they sprout and grow quickly. Often the non-native plants grow and spread more quickly than the native plants. Eventually, the native plants are choked out. This is one of the reasons many natural areas are over run with invasive, non-native plants such as Japanese ligustrum, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), and many others. 

When Plants Attack is a short video from Texas Parks and Wildlife that highlights non-native plants in wild areas and the effort it takes to remove these alien invaders.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that the cedar waxwings always eat the berries from my possumhaws before they eat the berries from the Japanese ligustrum across the street. Possumhaw berries are like home cooking. It is the food that generations of cedar waxwings ate. Foreign junk foods, like Japanese ligustrum berries, are the bird’s second choice because native berries are in short supply and the only alternatives are the fruits and berries of non-native plants.

As you take inventory of the plants in your landscape, think about the potential ramifications those plants could have on wild areas in your neighborhood or even miles away. You may decide you need to remove some non-native plants and replace them with native plants. The birds will thank you.

Gardening Year 2010: Looking Back on the Prairie

On my suburban prairie, one gardening season officially ends and the next one officially begins on the day I clear off the last season’s dry, brown stalks to make way for the next season’s fresh growth of grasses and wildflowers. This usually occurs mid-February, weather permitting.

Most prairie plants die to the ground once their season of growth is over or from the winter cold. Cutting back and removing the old, dead growth gives perennial plants room to sprout from the roots or from a rosette of leaves that forms over the cool season. Removing the old growth also allows sunlight to reach the seedlings that sprouted in the fall and helps in the germination of new seeds in the spring.

Historically, fire rejuvenated the great American prairies by removing dead plant material and suppressing tree and brush growth. Fires started from natural sources, such as lightning strikes, but the Native Americans also learned the benefits of fire on the prairie and intentionally set them. Prairies greened up quickly after a fire and attracted grazing animals, such as the American bison, which were hunted by the Native Americans.

Controlled burns are used today to clear managed prairies. Fire, in a residential neighborhood, is probably not a good option for my prairie. Of course, there is always the possibility that a discarded cigarette butt or a vandal that does not appreciate the natural look of prairie plants will start a fire to help with the maintenance of my prairie. Until then, I must clear my prairie the hard way, on my knees with hand shears and electric hedge shears.

Here is a look back at the last gardening season and a look forward to the start of the next one. It is always fun to see how plants have grown, changed, and relocated over time. Even more fun is looking forward to the next season.

02-28-10

03-21-10

05-21-10

07-04-10

08-31-10

09-26-10

11-14-10

02-05-11

02-14-11

02-20-11

It's Cold on the Prairie!

It started with rain early Tuesday morning and then it turned to freezing rain. The freezing rain gave way to sleet and finally snow. When the precipitation ended, all flat surfaces were covered sheet of ice. And all the while, temperatures dropped from the 70s on Saturday, the 50s on Monday, the 20s Tuesday, teens today, and single digits tonight.

I am fortunate that my office shut down yesterday and today so I do not need to get out on the roadways with the crazies. Instead, I can stay safe at home and take pictures of my prairie as viewed from the warm indoors.

Well, it is warm most of the time. Many parts of Texas are enduring rolling blackouts. I think it is so we will have enough electricity to power the Super Bowl stadium and the hotels hosting the visiting teams. The power outages seem to be on a predictable schedule. Each has come at 25 minutes past the hour, every other hour, since 6:25 this morning and lasted about 20 minutes at a time.

A four nerve daisy blooms through the snow and ice.

A dove is hunkered down near the patio.

The red feathers of this cardinal brighten a cold, dreary day. Looks like I will have to venture out into the cold soon and refill the feeder.

I know there are other parts of the country with more snow, ice, and colder temperatures than we have here on the prairie. Stay safe and warm wherever you are.

I need to shut off the computer before the next power outage.