Native Plants

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Thursday - February 26, 2015

From: Comanche, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Identification of thorny bush
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

We found a small thorny like bush in our hay field near the fence line yesterday. It has thorns and each thorn has new nodes along the thorn. it is a frosted like white at this time. It is early february. looks like the frosty color on an ice plant. The plant is bush like. it has been growing new sprouts all around the base of it. It has no leaves or berries at this time. It is not a Mesquite.I am familiar with them. Never seen anything like this

ANSWER:

Here are some possibilities for the thorny bush that you have growing in your field in Comanche County:

Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey locust) is shown to occur in Comanche County by the distribution map on the USDA Plants Database.

Poncirus trifoliata (Hardy orange) is not native and is shown to occur as near as McLennan County according to the USDA Plants Database.

Sideroxylon lanuginosum (Gum bumelia) is shown to occur in adjacent Brown County according to the USDA Plants Database. Here is a link to more photos of gum bumelia from Stephen F. Austin University.

Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur hawthorn) is found in Comanche County according to the USDA Plants Database.

If none of these is the shrub you are seeing and if you have or can take a photo of it, you should visit our Plant Identification page where you will find links to several plant identification forums that will accept photos for identification.

From the Image Gallery

Honey locust
Gleditsia triacanthos

Alabama supple-jack
Berchemia scandens

Cockspur hawthorn
Crataegus crus-galli