Keep Wimberly Beautiful

I did not water my Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) during our long hot summer. Before the rains I saw no pretty ball of white flowers on the Garlic Chives, but now I have lots of their edible blossoms. This plant is also called Autumn Allium, Chinese Chives, Chinese Leeks, and Asian Chives because it comes from the Far East. It is edible and can be harvested to put in stir fries.

Out in the fields you may have noticed some green and white plants that are two to three feet tall. They are called Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia bicolor). These annuals exude toxic white sap when the stem is broken. Ranchers avoid them because they sicken the cattle.

Lindheimer Senna is one of our native beauties that usually start to bloom in August. This year mine waited for the rains before they started to bloom. After the yellow flowers fade the pods will form and when they start to open you can collect the seeds to spread around your yard. They seem to grow and bloom best in the partial shade. Mine have started from seed in my gravel driveway as well as on rocky soil. Both Snow on the Mountain and Lindheimer Senna are deer resistant.

Fall is the season for many of the ornamental grasses to bloom. One of my favorite native grasses is Lindheimer Muhly (Muhlemberia lindheimeri), also called Big Muhly (and often spelled “Muhley”), gets big enough to be used for screening. It is recommended as a native replacement for Pampas Grass, which is not native. A stand of Big Muhly is along HEB parking lot on 2325 not too far from the library entrance. It has reseeded itself in my yard.

I hope you continue to enjoy the spectacular effects of the recent rains.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist