Bouganvilla in my folks' yard.Jo and I are in South Texas near Corpus Christi (Aransas Pass to be exact) visiting my folks and her Mom. We made this quick trip -- if driving for 16 hours can be called a "quick trip" -- because my Mom was released from rehab following a stroke. Most of our time is being spent with relatives, but we've manage to sneak away every once and a while to take a few photos and walk the dogs along the channel that runs from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas and then into the Gulf of Mexico.
Chinaberry Blooms
Chinaberry is a nasty invasive tree that has naturalize throughout the south. This fast-growing tree can form dense thickets that crowd out native vegetation. Chinaberry fruit is poisonous to humans and small mammals. Leaves and roots release compounds that inhibit the germination and growth of other plant species (allelopathy).
As a kid, I did my share in helping the spread of this invasive. Chinaberries are often the projectile of choice of small boys interested in "chunking" something at their friends.
