Two Trees in a Texas Childhood

One tree a native to Texas, the other introduced, and both held in fond memory. One noxious and undesirable, the other useful for its wood. But which is which?

 A Chinaberry tree grew beside our little house on the west edge of Kingsville, Texas. It was the only tree in our yard of scraggly Bermuda grass (couldn’t call that a lawn). That was my first tree; I climbed into it, maybe six feet off the ground. My brother Walter and I played beneath it's shade, picking off the firm berries for our little slingshots.

 Walter and I finally claimed a big mesquite tree in the brush as our own. It was larger and much more suited to climbing. We built tree houses (again, six feet off the ground) and studied its blooms and seed pods. 

The chinaberry tree is called a noxious invasive species (Really? Stephen Austin introduced it into Texas, along with the Old 300 settlers. Also invaders?). Environmentalists say it’s weedy, spreads easily and crowds out native vegetation. Occasionally I see it here in Georgia, growing along rural fencerows and roadsides. Never in abundance. It makes me smile. The wood is supposed to be useful.

 Mesquite is a native tree, a long-time Texas resident, also useful. Living on Kingsville’s outskirts, we heated our little four-room house with mesquite. Mom headed tubs of wash water over a mesquite fire. And Dad made fence posts from its curvy branches. Mesquite thickets contain a variety of wildlife, too. But today, mesquite is considered a nuisance, invading pastures, difficult to control or eradicate. It is spreading throughout the southern part of Texas.

 Why is mesquite spreading today? Originally, south Texas supported extensive grasslands, with mesquite growing along the little creeks. Now, it marches into any abandoned pasture. Longhorn cattle, in the big cattle drives, undoubtedly spread the seeds throughout south and central Texas. Cattle get the blame, but is that the whole story? Mesquite today spreads without their help. Fire, of course, is necessary for grasslands to compete successfully with trees. Maybe we should burn our pastures every year. Would that work?

 Now, which of these tree species is the worst problem? The Chinaberry invader or the native mesquite? 

For me, neither one. I wish both of them success. Any living thing that thrives in drought-ridden south Texas has my admiration. 

Dac

6/1/2009.  Happy Birthday, Mary Freeman!

 

 

Comments

[EJ]

East Texas has pine, oak,dogwood, redbud, etc. All are beautiful. The mesquite is still may favorite The natives laugh at me--who cares, I don't. Remember the old tree in front of HMK. Bet it could tell many a story.

[Irene]

I have a hidden past, for over 35 years I was a tree farmer and was selected as the Tree Farmer of the Year in 1975.
Two tree's cooling power equals one air-conditioner.
Summer arrived today as the temperature hit 90 degrees. Have a great one!

[Glenda York]

Kudos on a nice entry from a fellow tree lover.