The difference between soapberry and chinaberry and more

Q: How do I tell the difference between soapberry trees and chinaberry trees? I have one or the other on my property and can’t tell the difference. I certainly don’t want chinaberry because they are so invasive.

A: The monthly e-newsletter from Texasinvasives.org had a nice article on the chinaberry tree in August. It gave a way to tell the difference between the two trees when they both have fruit. Chinaberry fruit remains opaque during the winter. Soapberry fruit are translucent. During the growing season, chinaberry leaves have a lacy look and a musky odor with lavender flowers in the spring. Soapberry flowers are cream colored.

Chinaberry are certainly invasive and are found in many of our Seguin parks. The tree was introduced in the middle 1800s from Asia. The Texas Department of Agriculture will not let the tree be sold, distributed or imported.

Q: My hackberry trees are starting to split and fall. How old do they get in this area?

A: I found one source that said 20 to 30 years. However, remember that they are weak wooded and you will have broken limbs every time the wind blows. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center had an interesting hackberry pro and con article on their website. Two experts debated the merits of the hackberry. The tree is very tolerant of growing conditions and has a large native range. It is important for wildlife because the berries are eaten by birds and its leaves are the larval food of butterflies and moths. On the other hand, they have heavy infestations of mistletoe, every seed sprouts and you will find them in all your beds, and falling limbs and trees cause constant clean up. (I can agree with this. I have spent much money the last couple of years having broken trees cut down and removed.)

Q: I would like to plant some ornamental grasses in my landscape. What do you suggest?

A: My very favorite grass, particularly this time of year, is Gulf or coastal muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) which is a Texas native plant. It is a short grass, one and a half to two feet tall, and has pink fuzzy seed heads in the fall. It is absolutely gorgeous when the sun shines through it. I check my plants and the ones in the Park West pollinator garden frequently to see if they are in bloom yet. Another favorite grass, also a Texas native, is inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium). This grows to two feet and has ornamental seed heads during the summer and fall. The foliage sort of looks like very small bamboo, but doesn’t have that nasty bamboo-like habit of taking over the world.

FYI: It is time for falling leaves again. Rather than throwing them away, mow them with your mulching mower. If you just have a few on your lawn, leave them in place. If you have a lot, gather the mowed leaves and use for mulch in your flower or vegetable beds or put in your mulch pile. Bags of leaves can also be taken to the nearest community garden.

Clara Mae Marcotte is a Texas Master Gardener with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. If you have a question to be answered, call the Master Gardeners at 830-379-1972 or leave a message to be answered. The website is guadalupecountymastergardeners.org. The Master Gardener research library is open Mondays from 9 to noon, at 210 East Live Oak Street in Seguin.