Vegetation along the Rio Grande

The weather finally turned off sunny today after several weeks of clouds and drizzle so I took the opportunity to check out a stand of reddish colored trees upstream from the preserve. A local birder who was familiar with them told me they were Montezuma Cyprus. This is one of the last stand of trees this type and size in Texas!

The early settlers cut most of these type of trees down. These were most likely spared as they are on a steep river bank and would have fallen into the river if cut. The grove has 8 trees that are up to 3 feet in diameter. They are about 30 feet tall with a crown that is about 30 feet across. It was cool and serene beneath these historic giants! As I walked back to the preserve, I spotted a Yucca plant in bloom.

I have been keeping an eye on Yucca plants for several weeks waiting for the blooms to appear. They first send up a long stem that eventually develops these huge rows of white flowers. This is just another wonder of travel that I have the privilege of experiencing!