Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - September 23, 2013
From: Spicewood, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: New thorn/bush tree in Central Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
In Central Texas, over the last 5 years we have seen a new variety of thorn bush appear. It has very long thorns much like mesquite tree but thorns are every inch or so along the branches. The tree is like a bush but will grow 20 or more feet high. The color of the tree is almost a blue green.ANSWER:
My best guess from your description is Zanthoxylum hirsutum (Texas hercules' club). Here are photos and more information from Archive of Central Texas Plants from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Texas. Crushed leaves give off an odor that smells like oranges or other citrus fruits. If you chew one of the leaves (the young leaves, in particular), you will notice that your tongue begins to feel numb. Native Americans used the leaves to treat toothache; thus, its common names of Tickle-tongue and Toothache tree.
Other possibilities are:
Ziziphus obtusifolia (Lotebush) Here are photos and more information from Texas A&M Horticulture and Virginia Tech University.
Castela erecta (Goatbush) Here is a description from the US Forest Service and here are photos and more information from Texas A&M Horticulture and photos from Flora of Dolan Falls Preserve in Val Verde County, Texas.
Sideroxylon lanuginosum (Gum bumelia) Here are photos and more information from the Archive of Central Texas Plants from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Texas.
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Identification Questions
Smarty Plants on Plant Identification
April 25, 2005 - We bought our house last October and there were beautiful pink flowers blooming along our sidewalk. They bloomed until past Thanksgiving. They resembled Azaleas but we don't know what they were. Th...
view the full question and answer
Smarty Plants on Jimsonweed
August 07, 2005 - White flowers that are seen a lot along hwy 58 east towards Tehachapi; they look like "angel's trumpet" but not sure... they are big, white and have dark green leaves and cluster in a bush..any ideas?
view the full question and answer
Plant similar to painted buckeye in Stewart Co., GA
February 26, 2011 - My neighbor said that she saw a plant in Providence Canyon in Stewart Co, GA that was similar to the painted buckeye, but bloomed later in the summer. Do you know of this plant?
view the full question and answer
Vine with wine-colored flowers in Washington County, TX
April 04, 2014 - I'm trying to identify a deep purple wine colored flowering vine in Washington County, Texas. It looks very similar to Texas wisteria, but it is something else. I've seen them growing in vineyards...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
May 13, 2009 - Every spring I have pink evening primroses blooming near the curb where the soil is very poor - lots of clay, very dry. Along with the pink evening primroses, there is a vine that can spread about th...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |