Pigeonberry

I first discovered Pigeonberry (Rivina humilis) on an outing with other Master naturalists. We found it on a moist, shady bank and the Pigeonberry was widespread. People could not believe I had not come across it before, but my rocky home environment was not to its liking.

It is about one foot tall and as a mature plant it is about two feet wide. Pigeonberry is a native perennial that loses its leaves in the winter. It is the bright red berries that attract attention. When the pretty pink flowers are pollinated they produce red berries. These berries are poisonous to humans, but the birds love them.

The first two years after I planted a Pigeonberry plant in the shade of my Eve’s Necklace tree, it survived but was not too happy. I knew it grew in moist places near streams, so I threw a little water on it during the drought. Now that we have had copious amounts of rain, it is growing, blooming and setting fruit vigorously. They say it propagates from the seeds, so maybe I will find some seedlings next spring.

This is a busy time in the garden. If you bought bulbs last summer from those enticing catalogs, now is the time to plant them. The rains have softened the ground, so this task is made easier. You can give your bulbs an extra boost by putting some bone meal in the hole before you place the bulb in.

I have found Sandbur or Grassbur stickers in my lawn. There are pre-emergent herbicides that can control this annual, but that does not solve the current problem. I will not knowingly mow over them as that will only spread the stickers (which are seeds) making more Sandbur plants. I pull out the grass and put the stickers in the trash. May your garden have pretty Pigeonberries and few Sandburs!

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist