Marker # 37

AGARITA - Berberis Trifoliata is an evergreen shrub with stiff and spiny trifoliate leaves. The fragrant yellow flowers are followed by acidic red berries which make excellent wine and jelly. Roasted seeds may be used as a coffee substitute. The wood and roots yield a yellow dye. Early settlers used a root decoction as a toothache remedy. The plant contains the alkaloid berberine that can cause fatal poisoning.

Marker # 28

BUCKEYE - Aesculus pavia var. "flavencens" is confined to the Edwards Plateau area. It is a shrub or small tree having palmately compound leaves with 5-7 leaflets. Flowers are pinkish to yellow and are followed by smooth fruits containing 1-3 large, shiny brown seeds having a white hilum, hence the name "buckeye". The powdered bark has been used to treat toothache and ulcers. The roots produce lather, and together with the fruits and buds can be used as a fish poison.

Marker # 47

EVERGREEN SUMAC - Rhus virens leaves were said to be used by Native Americans in treating asthma. The leaves were mixed with tobacco for smoking. The fruit may be steeped in water to make a cooling, citric-flavored tea. The fruit should be encased in cheesecloth to contain the fine airs and prevent fuzzy tea!

Sumacs are in the same family (Anacardiaceae) as poison ivy. Generally , sumac species with red fruits are safe while those with white fruits are not. Photo.

Marker # 44

TEXAS PERSIMMON - Diospyros texana is a small tree with smooth, gray, flaking bark that grows well in the thin soils on the park's rocky slopes. Only the female trees bare fruit as the male and female flowers are on separate plants. This is described as dioecious. Black juice from the fruit is used to dye skins in Mexico, and the dense hardwood is used for tools, engraving blocks, and ornamental wooden objects. Javalina, racoon, deer and other animals love the ripe fruit. Photo.

Marker #81

SPANISH OAK - Quercus buckleyi is also known as Texas Red Oak. This tree is endemic (found nowhere else) to Central Texas. Oaks are a source of tannin, used in curing leather. This oak usually shows bright fall colors; individual trees may be yellow to scarlet. Galls, commonly seen on oaks, are small to golf-ball sized growths that may occur on leaves or stems. They are caused by very small insects, which lay their eggs in the plant tissue. The gall forms around the eggs and becomes the young insects' nursery!

Marker #12

MOUNTAIN CEDAR - Juniperus ashei is a shrub or tree that grows to about 30 feet. This conifer has cones that look like berries, usually contain one seed, and are eaten by many species of wildlife. Leaves are small and scale-like on mature plants but sharp and awl-like on younger plants. The shaggy bark strips of mature juniper trees are necessary for the nest building of the Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia). The wood is very durable and used for fence posts. It is also used in closets and chests where its aromatic quality repels insects. Photo.