Joann Merritt's Essays

The Last Hurrah On The Prairie
November, 1999

Many native plants do not simply bloom, wither and return quietly into the earth from whence they sprouted. No, Indeed! There’s more to them than just a pretty bloom on the prairie, they finish their growing season with what I refer to as a “Last Hurrah”!

DEVIL’S CLAW
Proboscides parviflora

Devil’s Claw has large somewhat heart-shaped leaves and while these green velvety leaves are attractive when viewed they are clammy and sticky to the touch. Although Devil’s Claw produces beautiful orchid-like blooms they, like the entire plant, have an unpleasant odor. (Hmm, I’m beginning to understand why this plant has Devil in its name). The blooms set fruit, forming seed pods that resemble okra, but beware of these pod’s wicked Last Hurrah! When mature the hardened pods open revealing two sharply hooked claws! The common names of Cow or Gal Catcher come from the claw’s ability to expand and retract - Aha, gotcha! - latching on to the leg of a careless animal or person. The Devil’s Claw refuses to be ignored. It will catch your attention, as well as your leg, if you fall prey to the enticement of this devilish plant.

WESTERN SOAPBERRY
Sapindus Saponaria var Drummondii

Groves of Western Soapberry trees grow in several locations across Midland County, usually along draws, but sometimes in mottes on the open prairie. In spring the anorexic trees put on green leaves which gives them a more shapely form. Spikes of small white blooms then briefly enhance the spring foliage.

When cold weather arrives the Soapberry tree’s beauty of summer is transformed into the glory of autumn when its green leaves turn golden yellow. According to Texas Highways magazine old-timers call this time of year “gone to glory” or “gone to glory and beyond”. I suppose our Soapberry tree’s “gone to glory” time is when the green leaves end their years work with a glorious yellow, gold and tan Last Hurrah, while “and beyond” refers to the results of our West Texas wind. A grandson once ran through mounds of fallen leaves with arms outstretched exclaiming “I’m rich, I’m rich”! Would that we could all likewise exuberantly express joy in nature’s bounty.

Not many of our Soapberry trees produce fruit, therefore encountering one that is laden with translucent amber colored berries is akin to discovering nuggets of gold. Lustrous rays of sunshine filtering through the translucent berries produce a golden moment not soon forgotten.

These berries hang on the trees long after the leaves have “gone to glory and beyond” thus extending the Last Hurrah of our native Western Soapberry.

PINK SMARTWEED
Persicaria lapathifolia

Ah, so! Midland has a native plant, Pink Smartweed, whose dried stems present an oriental effect. In her book Wildflowers of the Western Plains, Zoe Kirkpatrick states that she always thought this plant was called Smartweed because it seemed smart enough to find wet places in which to grow, but her further research revealed that it contains an acrid juice that causes “smarting” when it gets on the skin.

Look for this plant in playas or other wet places where its beautiful pink to rose colored flowers will cover large areas. When the delicate blooms fade the stems of Pink Smartweed become the main attraction. The 2 to 3 foot tall stems which are swollen at the joints turn mahogany-red and resemble bamboo. This gives the plant’s Last Hurrah an oriental aura. One might say the native plant world has its own Bamboo Garden.

CATTAILS
Typha latifolia

Don and I arrived for our evening walk at a cattail-filled playa just in time to be entertained by Typha latifolia’s Last Hurrah. As we walked the perimeter of the playa the cattail’s elongated heads, which a young grandson very aptly called “Corn Dogs”, would pop open in random sequence. It was as if some unseen Plant Wizard was haphazardly selecting seed heads - one here, one there and yet another one across the way.

Reminiscent of stars as they gradually appear in the night sky, each pod would become visible as it released its cottony contents. Soon the area was filled with nose-tickling particles which floated in the air and collected on surrounding vegetation as well as on open spots of ground. This was one of nature’s many interesting events that we were privileged to witness.

EARTHSTARS
False Puffballs (Order Sclerodermatales)

An Earthstar is not truly a plant, it is a fungus, but it grows in Midland County and has an unusual Last Hurrah so I include it here. Earthstars are closely related to mushrooms. The mushrooms with which we are all familiar grow to a round puffball which soon disintegrates, no Last Hurrah for them.

Since we find Earthstars where Shin Oaks grow Burr Williams wonders if there is a symbiotic relationship between the two. Perhaps these fungi also grow in other locations, but we see them in great numbers among the Shin Oaks southeast of Midland. Earthstars at first resemble a closed fist which later opens and spreads its fingers thus forming a star shape. The rounded center is filled with spores which escape into the air by a slit in the puffy tops. When dry, the hardened Earthstars shine silvery gray in open sandy areas among the Shin Oaks. Could Chicken Little have been right, has the sky fallen? There are (Earth) stars all over the ground.

These are just a few examples of native plants after their bloom of youth has faded. Take time to notice and appreciate some of our natives after their lively and colorful spring and summer display has ended. There is an abundance of interesting and attractive dried seed pods, flower heads, leaves, stems and grasses that can be seen at this time of the year.

Native plants, like those of us who are Senior Citizens, may be “dried pods” in our Last Hurrah but I’d like to think that both people and plants still have something of value to offer.