The perfect ecosystem! Mosquito larvae, tadpoles, snails, minnows, and algae. On a hunch, we decided to take our nets and walk to the creek by our house. We had hoped to find some Crawfish and baby turtles like last time...
Instead, we were astounded to find THOUSANDS of tadpoles! JACKPOT!
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Beautiful flowers.. were they beside the creek?
ReplyDeleteWe pass this flowering shrub on our way to the creek. I took a seed pod and picture so I can identify it later ;-)
ReplyDeletethis is called a ceasalpinia (sp?) or commonly-known as a 'bird of paradise'. Be aware, though, there are lots of plants that have this common name. These are very heat and drought-tolerant. so much so that they are common flowering landscape plants in the Sonoran Desert where it only gets about 11 inches of rain a yr! They'll bloom all summer and into a mild fall. Deciduous, mulit-branched, woody shrub that grows to about 6-8'. They are not too frost hardy so you probably see them in warmer or protected spots-- is near a warm creek or on the south side of house. I have books if you want more info. That's just what I remember of the top of my head.
ReplyDeleteOh! There's also a 'Mexican bird of paradis' that is very similar in appearance and growth habit only a little smaller and has yellow flowers.
HTH
Valerie
THANKS VAL!! I can always depend on you to help me with plant identification! I was JUST thinking about that tree today that we had passed at the farm. Remember? I had forgotten the name, but it had those THORNS.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I planted the seeds today in a pot. NICE to know they are drought tolerant! ;-)
PS) See ya on homeschool day. I'm working the shelter all weekend, so I won't be at la farm tomorrow.
Thanks for the info Val.. sure was interesting.
ReplyDeleteTo bad ther all gone
ReplyDelete