The plant we notice in January is Cedar, especially if you are allergic to Cedar pollen that is released into the air starting in December. The native Cedar of Central Texas is Juniperus ashei. There are many kinds of cedar found throughout the world and they are all in the Cypress family. The Cypress family includes Redwoods, Sequoias and the Cypress trees found along our local waterways. The plants of the Cypress family have aromatic wood that is pest and decay resistant.
Take a good look at local Juniperus ashei plants. The leaves are scale-like. Some of the Cedar trees have dark bluish colored berries. This is a female Cedar. Other Cedar plants have small (about half a cm long) cones. This is the male Cedar. These little cones are full of yellow pollen which is released into the air by the wind this time of year. Plants that have separate male and female types are said to be dioecious.
The mature Cedar trees have shaggy bark. This bark is used exclusively by the endangered Golden-cheeked warblers found in Central Texas for their nests. Many animals eat the juniper berries and several native plants depend upon the enriched soil formed by the decaying needle-like leaves beneath the cedar, including Madrones and Cedar Sages.
