Rio Grande Valley, South Padre Island

[Meangreen94z]

Looks like a really cool area; I've always wanted to visit. Do you know the water supply situation there? A quick google says they get it from the Rio Grande, but I have no reference of that source's long-term outlook. I canoed down part of it at Big Bend 20 years ago, and it was nearly dry then...not much fun to paddle.

Thanks. I’m sure most of it comes from the Rio Grande, or the area’s “resacas” . They have a complex piping and canal system from the Rio Grande that runs through the area from its heyday of agriculture. Most of the water that originates from Colorado and New Mexico is gone once it reaches El Paso. The Texas section of the Rio Grande is over 1200 miles long and there are a number of tributaries from both sides of the border. The Rio Concho from the Mexican side feeds it right before Big Bend. Last year there was a drought, so the majority of water was consumed by Mexican farmers, leading to the Rio Grande running dry in Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend. Further east you have the Pecos River, Devils River, and a number of creeks that feed it along from the Texas side. There’s also a number of dams and levees. There is an interesting book called the ‘Tecate Journals’ of a guy who tries to kayak the complete Texas section. There was a number of dry sections he had to hike or hitch a ride past.

[Meangreen94z]

Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge

D35F7F80-D677-445C-B6F8-4D72FD957FE3.jpeg (294.08 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Washingtonia robusta

944B9E78-DC8D-4DEA-AD79-04E4CD4C4C58.jpeg (194.06 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

60F7C116-E178-4112-A657-5616DE7454F4.jpeg (536.84 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

4324C86D-11F2-4F60-86E5-FB49738C65AB.jpeg (506.35 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

D335D954-5324-4BBE-A16D-9A4BF3BD10D4.jpeg (487.87 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

17973627-0D5A-42AF-81E7-34B56B0C5E1F.jpeg (616.8 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

C75EBDB8-D8EE-47FC-BB21-1F2807486352.jpeg (516.8 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

AECF685F-9F8A-42A9-A080-9BDC46443C76.jpeg (533.44 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

E0B6C8EC-E357-4184-AD46-54D22D285B4E.jpeg (524.32 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Opuntia alta

6319C6C2-9768-4F56-9DB8-6FE2564162DE.jpeg (653.51 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

[Meangreen94z]

Yucca treculeana

00D372E5-440A-4739-9370-2B1D9F1606B3.jpeg (522.4 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Opuntia alta

8C15B9EC-ADE3-47B3-B989-37D96E604686.jpeg (513.57 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

F5B682B1-7FBA-4175-9060-D717CBC4DA13.jpeg (508.03 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Opuntia alta

69C34438-277C-4449-BB36-5F0C304BB68C.jpeg (722.27 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

55B49C99-7C3D-467E-8647-0042D154A3FB.jpeg (566.13 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

79EED0B6-254D-4EFB-8E41-773BC173E752.jpeg (654.75 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

Yucca treculeana

B8CAC0A6-5F10-47D3-A56C-8443D5028060.jpeg (358.16 KiB) Viewed 1828 times

[Tom in Tucson]

The Brownsville doctor office of a palm enthusiast(active online). Interesting to see the results after it dropped somewhere between 27-29°F last December. Brownsville has seen below freezing temperatures twice in the last 3 winters, after going over 30 years with only 1 borderline freeze.
8D848BCD-5CC5-4396-B62F-0FC2C87EF959.jpeg03794D00-0C36-4E96-A2F9-0A85044CF695.jpeg1319BB2B-3162-4B0A-87D9-DC3527D2E078.jpeg65AD93F6-B54E-4586-A317-7695919E9B6D.jpegE84A677F-1258-4606-9879-8629A0EBD004.jpeg34F4D2EA-127D-4DC8-B8A7-B7F31B60B444.jpeg3F2FE4F2-43A6-4B30-978A-ACE2842CBC61.jpeg71569201-04A3-4EDD-89DF-C47828A4EF8D.jpeg78A703DE-DB55-4F26-A730-4004C5B059FB.jpeg353C4568-DCCA-4843-948E-8B5B9CCD3500.jpeg

I think image 4 and 7 may be Hyphaene coriacea.

[Meangreen94z]

More from Boca Chica Beach area

Yucca treculeana

4B83417F-46A8-455C-88C3-4780DEC8B7A8.jpeg (412.23 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

A6C30D82-27D6-48F3-B7BA-CE8B33428AD3.jpeg (381.81 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

BC17D036-FFC0-4D45-AD4F-6E9F3C713950.jpeg (428.41 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

0F4B7036-837A-40D1-BBE5-CB31302EEE1B.jpeg (231.68 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

43F2C188-E54A-4402-8B46-BDDBEF26BBD8.jpeg (444.08 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

E24E870E-19B9-4B53-AD9D-542A7B35C871.jpeg (369.15 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

SpaceX

ABD25011-C050-448A-98E9-9018D9AD07D7.jpeg (416.92 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

SpaceX

C531F131-5A42-4D7D-A660-DFE6976144F9.jpeg (389.49 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

EB1B3E53-B41D-4105-807D-EE69891EBB05.jpeg (423.28 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana on left, South Padre Island in the distance on right.

F2A3F2C0-5ACA-47D7-95DE-30F22698C9E3.jpeg (277.7 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

[Meangreen94z]

Yucca treculeana

E094CB17-8389-4014-AC22-B5C8E2465267.jpeg (603.02 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

C7FAF984-AE3A-48CF-943C-BF85632C97F6.jpeg (683.58 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

BBF4F5B7-7061-4FFF-8CC9-16078074F2B1.jpeg (488.78 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

B36C93DD-CC3F-48FB-AC1F-20496B909C90.jpeg (191.63 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

718671EE-6BF6-4955-B856-B5DC323E0CD9.jpeg (537.72 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

27DC06CC-1448-4E0B-A602-2DEFEA1B61FD.jpeg (430.76 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

9E2AD09E-821C-4319-BA5D-2EF0F5902940.jpeg (492.9 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana on island in shallow bay

E0A9DF7D-B393-41C7-8A1B-F3961244325C.jpeg (245.6 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

EC465B12-C009-4C11-BFAC-F5ABB1917264.jpeg (379.38 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Gulf of Mexico

2C8B95FB-49F9-462E-BF40-F0E142B9EBA4.jpeg (367.82 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

[Meangreen94z]

Yucca treculeana

76BA147C-E825-4465-BF3E-C9214BC9AC83.jpeg (586.88 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Echinocereus pentalophus

4D832B7A-73AA-4330-A0FE-321140FED0E0.jpeg (577.96 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

443E05AD-D859-4905-AAF3-8CFE57B01A16.jpeg (611.07 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Mammilaria prolifera

851FAE99-468C-4DDE-95CD-BF643A3DCDCA.jpeg (657.37 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

E2F02804-4017-409A-814C-1F1135EA4917.jpeg (457.84 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Mammilaria prolifera

90B30B49-1D9B-4FD0-9F57-122DC8708FB7.jpeg (490.09 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

282C4EA2-73FB-4ADE-86E7-583DE4F129D5.jpeg (239.58 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Hamatocactus (Ferocactus) hamatacanthus ssp. sinuatus

EF128C4E-8A72-41E7-8533-C8D3B6DC04A9.jpeg (552.47 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Yucca treculeana

2D44C9DB-CF9A-4B48-A43E-A1BA865AC452.jpeg (551.88 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Echinocactus texensis

AD6CFA0F-E8E2-4E02-9AA8-C78A04EAAF51.jpeg (430.74 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

[Meangreen94z]

Opuntia alta with Hamatocatus hamatacanthus ssp. sinuatus growing on bottom right, out of dried salt marsh

6FA64A5B-40FB-4FDA-883E-B2CF80EFC045.jpeg (584.31 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Ancient 12 foot tall by 30 foot wide( 4 x 10 meter) Opuntia alta cluster

E868EEF3-DD28-4178-8DE0-D7B51B536EEF.jpeg (494.32 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Acanthocereus tetragonus

3D8DC906-5C80-48AB-A582-B36EFFB88F34.jpeg (578.54 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Acanthocereus tetragonus

229E9892-BBEC-40C6-B7D7-BA3123843C3C.jpeg (695.21 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

Opuntia alta

21C99113-A0A6-485D-9483-69EF302A72E9.jpeg (426.49 KiB) Viewed 1801 times

[Tom in Tucson]

76BA147C-E825-4465-BF3E-C9214BC9AC83.jpeg4D832B7A-73AA-4330-A0FE-321140FED0E0.jpeg443E05AD-D859-4905-AAF3-8CFE57B01A16.jpeg851FAE99-468C-4DDE-95CD-BF643A3DCDCA.jpegE2F02804-4017-409A-814C-1F1135EA4917.jpeg90B30B49-1D9B-4FD0-9F57-122DC8708FB7.jpeg282C4EA2-73FB-4ADE-86E7-583DE4F129D5.jpegEF128C4E-8A72-41E7-8533-C8D3B6DC04A9.jpeg2D44C9DB-CF9A-4B48-A43E-A1BA865AC452.jpegAD6CFA0F-E8E2-4E02-9AA8-C78A04EAAF51.jpeg

Note the 1st shot of Mammillaria prolifera is growing beneath an Ebenopsis ebano. The 2nd shot of this cactus includes the distinctive remains of it's seed pod (lower right). Before the pod splits in 2, it resembles a large dog turd. I have a 15' tree in my front yard, which is evergreen if it doesn't get too cold. It is a great tree to grow here in the Sonoran desert. It is much sturdier to wind gusts (and blowing over) than a mesquite, but is far less commonly grown. About it's only drawback is it's slow rate of growth.

Great images as usual!

[Meangreen94z]

76BA147C-E825-4465-BF3E-C9214BC9AC83.jpeg4D832B7A-73AA-4330-A0FE-321140FED0E0.jpeg443E05AD-D859-4905-AAF3-8CFE57B01A16.jpeg851FAE99-468C-4DDE-95CD-BF643A3DCDCA.jpegE2F02804-4017-409A-814C-1F1135EA4917.jpeg90B30B49-1D9B-4FD0-9F57-122DC8708FB7.jpeg282C4EA2-73FB-4ADE-86E7-583DE4F129D5.jpegEF128C4E-8A72-41E7-8533-C8D3B6DC04A9.jpeg2D44C9DB-CF9A-4B48-A43E-A1BA865AC452.jpegAD6CFA0F-E8E2-4E02-9AA8-C78A04EAAF51.jpeg

Note the 1st shot of Mammillaria prolifera is growing beneath an Ebenopsis ebano. The 2nd shot of this cactus includes the distinctive remains of it's seed pod (lower right). Before the pod splits in 2, it resembles a large dog turd. I have a 15' tree in my front yard, which is evergreen if it doesn't get too cold. It is a great tree to grow here in the Sonoran desert. It is much sturdier to wind gusts (and blowing over) than a mesquite, but is far less commonly grown. About it's only drawback is it's slow rate of growth.

Great images as usual!

Thanks. I didn’t even notice that ‘Texas Ebony’. I honestly pulled off the side of the road to take picture of that large Opuntia alta and realized all of those small cacti were growing there. It’s probably what I will focus on the next time I’m down there, just walking along that road. That and the diverse bird life down there. It’s a 5-6 hour drive but I will probably be back in the next couple months while the weather is nice.

Bird feeder in Laguna Atascosa WMA

D295EB1D-31C5-45D4-AC58-630AA847042F.jpeg (627.82 KiB) Viewed 1747 times

[Meangreen94z]

Here is a great video from “Crime pays but botany doesn’t”. Warning there is his typical foul language.

Here are the species and their approximate times in the video, some span multiple sections:
Hechtia glomerata 1:23
Jatropha dioica 7:05
Echinocactus texensis 9:30
Lophophora williamsii(peyote) 10:33
Ancistrocactus sheeri 12:46/14:33
Echinocereus enneacanthus 14:50
Jatropha cathartica 15:05
Agave lophantha 16:20
Yucca treculeana 17:43
Mammilaria heyderi 19:49
Agave asperrima 25:05

[nsp88]

Anyone ever ID this one? Baccarat?

Screenshot_20231230-225920.png (1.18 MiB) Viewed 1219 times

[Gafoto]

Here is a great video from “Crime pays but botany doesn’t”. Warning there is his typical foul language.

Here are the species and their approximate times in the video, some span multiple sections:
Hechtia glomerata 1:23
Jatropha dioica 7:05
Echinocactus texensis 9:30
Lophophora williamsii(peyote) 10:33
Ancistrocactus sheeri 12:46/14:33
Echinocereus enneacanthus 14:50
Jatropha cathartica 15:05
Agave lophantha 16:20
Yucca treculeana 17:43
Mammilaria heyderi 19:49
Agave asperrima 25:05

Quite a few of those species strike me as Sonoran/Chihuahuan species. Odd to see them in this almost tropical setting. Those Agave asperrima in his video are quite petite. Maybe not the best spot for them to grow?

Anyone ever ID this one? Baccarat?
Screenshot_20231230-225920.png

Looks like an Agave montana grown in full sun. They grow quite tightly when they’re in the desert. Most of the habitat shots are of mature plants and often in mixed canopy. They tolerate the full sun surprisingly well here in Salt Lake but it makes them look a little bit different.

[Meangreen94z]

Anyone ever ID this one? Baccarat?
Screenshot_20231230-225920.png

I went back earlier this year to see what it became and if it had any offsets. It turned out it was the same Agave as the one growing next to it, just younger.

[Meangreen94z]

Here is a great video from “Crime pays but botany doesn’t”. Warning there is his typical foul language.

Here are the species and their approximate times in the video, some span multiple sections:
Hechtia glomerata 1:23
Jatropha dioica 7:05
Echinocactus texensis 9:30
Lophophora williamsii(peyote) 10:33
Ancistrocactus sheeri 12:46/14:33
Echinocereus enneacanthus 14:50
Jatropha cathartica 15:05
Agave lophantha 16:20
Yucca treculeana 17:43
Mammilaria heyderi 19:49
Agave asperrima 25:05

Quite a few of those species strike me as Sonoran/Chihuahuan species. Odd to see them in this almost tropical setting. Those Agave asperrima in his video are quite petite. Maybe not the best spot for them to grow?

Anyone ever ID this one? Baccarat?
Screenshot_20231230-225920.png

Looks like an Agave montana grown in full sun. They grow quite tightly when they’re in the desert. Most of the habitat shots are of mature plants and often in mixed canopy. They tolerate the full sun surprisingly well here in Salt Lake but it makes them look a little bit different.

That mesquite scrub brush extended all the way to ocean at one point. About a century ago the area was heavily cleared for farming. I think he has connections or maybe people contact him after seeing his videos and let him access their private ranches, where the land was undisturbed.

If you head west along the border road Highway 83 things become arid quickly. By Rio Grande City it looks like desert. Agave asperrima and lopantha are both native, supposedly americana is as well. If you travel around Falcon Lake you can find both randomly growing in the brush. I’ve seen Agave lopantha that look straight from Home Depot or PDN growing there. It looks like asperrima extends west to around Laredo and then disappears.