We’re Always Searching For Sources of Seed.

We’re always searching for sources of seed for plants and shrubs that are Native to New Mexico. The drought in the Southwestern United States has made it more difficult to find seed from wild populations but we keep looking.

Sometimes we must depend upon seed collected from landscape grown plants. If we collect from landscape grown plants we make every effort to use plants grown in isolation. This ensures pure seed that had not been hybridized with other similar related plants.

Oaks easily hybridize with members of the same group. For example, members of the White Oak Group can hybridize with each other. Members of the White Oak Group include many common New Mexico Natives like the Gambel, Chinquapin, Bur, Gray, and Turbinella Oaks.

The photo below shows a Turbinella Oak producing abundant seed.

This Oak is planted in a landscape where it receives sufficient water to support acorn production. We will be back to collect acorns from this Turbinella Oak.

Turbinella is a native evergreen oak, typically with multiple trunks reaching 15’ – 18’ tall and wide.

If pruned into a single trunk tree it can be much taller. Turbinella Oak is very heat and drought tolerant. It is equally at home in a regular water landscape or planted in a more xeric location with prickly pear and junipers. The evergreen Turbinella oak can be used to create visual barriers or screens.

Trees That Please Nursery has Turbinella and many other oaks available in 5 and 15 gallon containers.

Tree That Please Nursery

An Albuquerque Area Nursery

Located in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Photos & Narrative By:

Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Comments

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 penetrat

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, animal hides,

Weed Identification: Silver-Leaf Nightshade

Silver-Leaf Nightshade ( Solanum elaeagnifolium ) is a perennial plant usually growing 8” to 20” tall. It is easily recognized by its silver green wavy leaves and stem color, often thorny stems, and violet colored, star shaped flowers with protruding yellow stamens. Other common names for Silver-Leaf Nightshade are Prairie Berry, Silver-Leaf Nettle, and Satan’s Bush. Silver-Leaf Nightshade flowers from late spring into fall and is native to the Southwestern United States and into Mexico. It is considered a noxious weed in many states. Silver-Leaf Nightshade is poisonous and toxic to livestock. Silver-Leaf Nightshade propagates from both rhizomes and seed found in berries. Green striped berries turn yellow or orange at maturity and then dry to brown. Silver-Leaf Nightshade has an extensive root system and can form colonies, which makes it difficult to eradicate. If you have time and patience, Silver-Leaf Nightshade can be e

Trees That Please Nursery

Search This Blog