Podster: You said you garden in deep East Texas. My mom lives and gardens outside Trinity, Texas, on Lake Livingston. Where are you in relation to Trinity?
Texas Gardening
I am not familiar with Trinitys' location but we are located 100 miles to the northeast of Livingston. Very near the Toledo Bend Reservoir ~ the border between Texas and Louisiana. I am deep in the pineywoods, surrounded by communities named Lickskillet, Possum Trot and Goober Hill.
How on earth did you know I would find this post! : )) pod
I just assumed you watched the postings in Dave's Garden. My dad's family is from Center, Texas which I believe is in your part of the woods. I live in Georgia now, but grew up in Houston, so I still feel like a Texan. Good to meet in Dave's Garden. Lynda
Hello All! Yes, I've been to Center and yes, I do love this area. I have enjoyed access to DG for assistance in IDing some of the native plants which I couldn't... I am not a native Texan but still love it here after 30 some years and alot of the old timers are fascinated at my interest in plants that they take for granted. The names the locals know the plants by have little relation to what the plant truly is... Y'all should have a wide variety of native plants there too.
I really enjoy the Ga Gardening forum. You guys take your gardening and plants seriously! But imagine my surprise when I was baited with this forum! Thanks for letting me join in... : ))
This is a Tx native that I am going to try to post for an ID. It is in bloom right now. The blue bloom is vibrant and the plants are so plain that I never think of them till I see them in bloom. Not a great photo as my camera is trying to go South. And the blooms are drooping after 3 1/2 inches of much needed rain. You guys have any IDeas? : )) pod
Podster: I heard on the news they are changing the name of the Piney Woods!!! I thought that was so sad...but they worry that the name doesn't attract as much homebuilding and commerce as the "Hill Country." They plan to change the name to Forest Country.
Yes, isn't that sad. They paid big money to do a study to determine that Pineywoods wouldn't attract the $$$ the retirement community could bring in. Amazingly though even before that, this area was growing by leaps and bounds. It had appealed to us due to its' remote charm but that is history and I am sure there is no place that is unpopulated any longer. At least I can still sit on the front porch in the evening and hear only 2-4 cars go by on the highway, very few airplanes and they are high up and a rare train. Still do love it!
Pod, could your plant be a salvia species?
Deborah
Morning Deborah ~ I posted it later of the ID forum and the first suggestion was a salvia. I searched and something about the flowers didn't look quite like a salvia. I am hoping last nights rain didn't beat the blooms off, I want to take a closer look. I think the scutellaria or skullcap ID is going to be it. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/665029/
Looks kind of like duranta erecta. Does it have berries?
Digs
Duranta is lovely, I have had it in the past but been unsuccessful overwintering it. No, it doesn't have berries but I will watch. I think it produces seeds.
Oddly, I had another plant I posted for ID too. It was accidental to stumble across the ID for this one... This is the forum that I posted the other one on... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/665036/
I wish I had a better photo. The rain beat the blooms off. We ended up with 5 inches. There are more buds so maybe I can get a better close photo. The plant is called a helmet flower or skullcap because the top petal resembles a helmet...
I am comfortable with it being a Scutellaria ~ skullcap. I am not sure which species it is. I think possibly S. galericulata. The blooms definitely appear to either be single or on one sided racemes. The leaves are 2 - 2 1/2 inches long and the plants average 1 - 2 feet in height. The reference says there are over 300 species so I may never know.... Thanks for the assistance. pod