Gardens of the Cross Timbers: Plant zoos
Becky Emerson Carlberg
Contributing writer
The native spring flowers keep coming. The dewberries (Rubus species), close relatives of blackberries, form trailing vines close to the ground, not upright canes. Dewberries bloom before blackberries and are now producing five petaled white flowers. Soon, sweet little squishy purple raspberry-like fruits will be ripe and ready.
The black locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia) are blooming. If planted near crops or trees, the nitrogen-fixing legume enhances their growth. Honeybees and bumblebees love the flowers. Another example of an American plant taken overseas. Hungarians imported black locust seeds in the 1700s. Through selective breeding, strong black locust stock was developed. Not only are Hungarian forests almost 20% black locust, the tree has become important in their commercial honey business.