What is a New Mexico Live Oak?

New Mexico Live Oak (Quercus fusiformis) is also known as Escarpment Live Oak. It is just one of New Mexico’s native evergreen oaks and is found in the SE part of the state. It is closely related to Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) but is smaller, and more cold and drought tolerant. It has tough, thick, green leaves and can reach 20-25 ft tall and wide. Most often it grows with multiple trunks and has a deep root system. It can grow as much as 2 feet per year. Once established it is quite drought and heat tolerant making a great landscaping tree to cool off a west or south facing wall.

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Weed Identification: Goatheads or Stickers

Goatheads ( Tribulus terrestris ) are native to Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Goatheads are also called stickers, sticker weed, bullhead, devil’s weed, and puncturevine. Goatheads are easily recognized by their prostrate growth form, leaves with leaflets, yellow flowers, and stickers (Goatheads). If you miss’em visually then they will stab you painfully in the fingers as you work your garden, or stick to your clothing and shoes. Goatheads are the primary reason local bicyclists must get “thorn proof” tires for riding on area trails and streets. Goatheads have prostrate stems that radiate outward from one central point. Leaves are compound with smaller leaflets. Lemon yellow flowers form along the stems and fertilized flowers form fruits. Fruits consist of several attached structures called nutlets (Goatheads). Each nutlet is a single seed that becomes hard or woody when mature. Each seed has two sharp spines that easily pene...

Weed Identification: Sand Bur

Sand Bur ( Cenchrus longispinus ) is native to North America. It has other names like sand spur, long-spined sand bur, hedgehog grass, and bur grass . Sand Bur is an annual grass usually growing with a prostrate growth form. It is similar in appearance to other grasses prior to seed formation. Individual plants may be 3’ in diameter, sometimes larger. Sand Bur is a common weed of sandy soils but also grows well elsewhere. Sand Bur will often root at stem nodes that are touching the ground. The root system of Sand Bur is shallow and fibrous making them easily pulled (when immature). Sand Bur produces a flowering spike. As seeds begin to form Sand Bur is easily recognized by its numerous sharp or burred seeds or long spines. As the burred seeds mature they are easily separated from the mother plant and their sharp spines stick to virtually anything. Sand Bur can disseminate its seeds long distances because its sharp spines will hitch a ride on skin, anim...

Mulberry Tree

The Mulberry tree ( Morus alba ) is also known as white mulberry. Mulberry trees are fast growing, deciduous trees that are native to China. Mulberry trees can reach 25’-30’ tall and 35’-40’ wide, or larger. Fruitless mulberry or male trees are generally considered more desirable than the female or fruit bearing trees. However, fruitless mulberry trees are prolific pollen producers and are banned in some communities because of allergen potential. Mulberries can grow 4’-6’ per year producing a tree canopy that is more wide than tall. Where water is not limiting, mulberries make great shade trees producing a deep, dark, shade canopy. Leaves are large and sometimes variable in shape. A few strategically planted mulberries can shade an entire yard. The female mulberry tree produces abundant sweet fruit that resemble blackberries. Female trees are very messy because of fruit drop so plant them away from sidewalks, driveways, and the house. Mulbe...

Trees That Please Nursery

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