Part 14

SUGARBERRY (Sugar Hackberry) Celtis laevigata Willd.

Sugarberry is distributed widely over the eastern half of the state. It occurs most abundantly and attains greatest size in rich alluvial soil, but thrives on various soil types. The species may grow 30 to 50 feet high and 10 to 20 inches in diameter, though sometimes much larger. Its limbs are spreading or pendulous, forming a broad head. Its branchlets are slender, light green, glabrous or pubescent when young, and bright reddish-brown during their first winter.

The BARK is pale gray and covered with prominent excrescences.

The LEAVES are simple, oblong-lanceolate, one-sided, 2½ to 5 inches long, thin, smooth, with the edges entire.

The FLOWERS, not conspicuous, are borne on slender, smooth peduncles in April or May, and are of a creamy-greenish color. The FRUIT is short-oblong to pear shaped, orange-red or yellow, ¼ inch in diameter, and ripens in September. The peduncle of the fruit is shorter or slightly longer than the petiole of the leaf.

The WOOD is soft, weak, close-grained, and light yellow, and is used occasionally for flooring and furniture, but chiefly for fuel.

RED MULBERRY Morus rubra L.

Red mulberry occurs in eastern Texas and west to the canyon of Devils River, Valverde County. It prefers rich moist soils. It is a small tree, rarely 50 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, often growing in the shade of larger trees.

The BARK is rather thin, dark grayish-brown, and peels off in long narrow flakes.

The LEAVES are alternate, thin, rounded or somewhat heart-shaped, toothed, pointed, 3 to 5 inches long, rough hairy above and soft hairy beneath. Some of the leaves are mitten-shaped or lobed.

The FLOWERS are of two kinds, on the same or different trees, in long drooping catkins, the female catkins shorter, appearing with the leaves.

The multiple FRUIT is edible, dark purple or black when ripe, and ¾ to 1 inch long.

The WOOD is rather light, soft, not strong, light orange-yellow, and the heartwood is durable in contact with the soil. It is chiefly used for fence posts.

The TEXAS MULBERRY (Morus microphylla Buckl.) is found in West Texas and south from the Colorado River. Its leaves are rarely longer than 1½ inches.

The WHITE MULBERRY (Morus alba L.) a native of China, has become naturalized in the United States.

OSAGE-ORANGE (Bois-d’arc) Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid.

Osage-orange, “bodark”, hedge apple, or mock orange is native to eastern and Central Texas; attaining its largest size in the valley of the Red River in the northeast part of the state. It commonly reaches a height of 20 to 40 feet and a diameter of 4 to 12 inches. The BARK is thin, gray, sometimes tinged with yellow; on old trees it is divided into strips or flakes. It contains tannin and has been used for tanning leather. The twigs are armed with stout, straight thorns ⅜ to 1 inch long.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, oval-pointed and lustrous green on the upper surface, 3 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, and entire. The leaves turn bright yellow in the autumn.

The yellowish FLOWERS appear in May; two kinds on the same tree—the male flowers in a linear cluster and the female flowers a rounded ball. The FRUIT is globular, from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, resembling a rough, green orange.

The WOOD is heavy, exceedingly hard, very strong, and very durable in contact with the soil. The heartwood is bright orange in color, turning brown upon exposure. It is largely used for posts. The Indians prized the wood for bows and war clubs. The tree is planted for windbreaks and hedges. The bark of the roots supply a yellow dye.

SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA (Evergreen Magnolia) Magnolia grandiflora L.

Magnolia is one of the best-known trees in the eastern part of the state. No other tree excels it in the combined beauty of leaves and flowers. Occurring naturally in rich moist soil on the borders of river swamps and nearby uplands in the Coastal Plain to the valley of the Brazos River, it has been widely cultivated for its ornamental value. In its natural habitat, it attains heights generally of 60 to 80 feet and trunk diameters up to 4 feet. The dense pyramidal head, or crown, is made up of numerous small spreading branches and branchlets.

The LEAVES are evergreen, thick, leathery, elliptical or oval, dark green and shiny above, rusty or silvery beneath, and mostly from 5 to 8 inches long, and 2 to 3 inches wide, with prominent midribs. They remain on the tree for approximately 2 years.

The large FLOWERS are 6 to 8 inches broad, with pure white petals surrounding a splash of bright purple in the center, and have a pleasing fragrance.

The FRUIT is a rounded or oval aggregate 3 to 4 inches long containing many seeds, each enclosed in a follicle. These open in the fall and display the bright red seeds dangling on slender threads.

The WOOD is moderately heavy, hard, and of a creamy color. It is used chiefly for furniture, Venetian blinds, and fuel.

SWEETBAY (Sweetbay Magnolia) Magnolia virginiana L.

Sweetbay, better known locally as white or swampbay, is found in the southern part of the Texas pine belt to western Montgomery County, in swamps and rich, moist soils. Often appearing as a clump of sprouts in open woods, in dense forests it grows as a tree 60 to 90 feet high, and up to 3 feet in diameter.