Highland Lakes Chapter

March 2022 Plant of the Month

Talayote Vine (Cynanchum racemosum)

Talayote Vine (Cynanchum racemosum) Photo by Louise Suhey
Photo courtesy of Louise Suhey

The View From Federal Twist: A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature and Ourselves by James Golden comes out in March. Golden and his partner bought an older home with vast gardens in New Jersey. He follows the “Don’t fight the site” mantra. When you create a formal garden, you are exerting control over the site. I did this with my last home in San Antonio. But his concept is to accept the land and start with a clean slate. This is what I am attempting now with my new home. I have created Stone House Gardens with a high percentage of native plants.

I have taken the approach of letting the land speak to me. I see what plants pop up before digging and pitching unknown plants as well as noting what native plants survive deer grazing and cold temperatures in Horseshoe Bay. Golden suggests watching your dog (in my case deer) to see where they make a path since they understand the terrain. In taking this approach, native plants have popped up everywhere. Then I make the decision to edit or not.

This is exactly what happened with the talayote vine. At least eight of them volunteered last year covering a small group of young black persimmon (Diospyros texana). The vine is in Apocynacea family (dogbane). At some point in time, milkweeds were used as dog poison. Apocynum means “dog away” in Greek. Many species in this family are poisonous if ingested due to the milky, latex sap in the leaves and stems. (We all know about the orange warning color of the monarch (Danaus plexippus) and the queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) which their caterpillars get from ingesting this sap. This sap sequesters toxic cardiac glycosides. The flowers and nectar don’t contain the sap and are safe for bees, flies, and butterflies.

While books say the vines can grow up to 15’, mine are only 8’-10’ wrapping around the tops of my persimmons. The beautiful green, heart-shaped leaves are opposite each other on the stem nodes with spaces between each set. The flowers are 10 to a raceme and are greenish white to cream colored. The stigma and anthers are fused together making them bisexual (hermaphrodite or androgynous). They are able to self or cross pollinate which produces offspring genetically identical to the parent.

The fruits produce large, plump seed pods from September until the end of November. The pods will turn brown and crack when dry. The flat seeds have long, white hairs that serve as parachutes to disperse in the wind. I keep the seeds in a paper bag until completely dry, then store in the freezer for better germination.

Large milkweed bugs (Onocepltus faciatus) deposit eggs into the pods through small cracks. Their babies will eat holes in the seeds. These bugs have two black triangles at each end of their bodies with a black band at their middle. This is called aposematic coloration. It is the concept of “warning coloration” to prevent attacks from predators using high contrast patterns such stripes or bands. Their cousins, the small milkweed buds (Lygacus kalmii), eat sap and nectar from the flowers.

Why keep this vine that has so many damaging insects? It attracts many beneficial insects such as lady beetles, lacewings, bees, and damselflies. The honeydew left behind by the aphids attracts ants, wasps, and other sugar loving insects. Maybe one day you’ll be lucky and have some pop up in your garden!

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About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason