Welcome to our newsletter. All the creek that's fit to print.
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Our biweekly newsletter is meant to be a one stop shop to keep you up to date on what is going on in the Bull Creek Greenbelt.
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Upcoming Events at Bull Creek
Our next Monthly meeting is the 4th Monday of the month, April 22, 2019. We will meet at Lakewood Clubhouse, 7317 Lakewood Dr, Austin, TX 78750 , from 6:00pm to about 8:00pm. Anyone with an interest in Bull Creek and the surrounding green spaces is welcome to join us!
NWACA will continue with its Third Saturday Park Clean Ups this month. Meet at the District Park (6701 Lakewood) April 20th, 9am to noon if you want to help out. Registration and details, here.
Check out our calendar for upcoming activities. While you are there, catch up on past events, history of the Bull Creek area, and all things Bull Creek. http://www.bullcreekfoundation.org/calendar/
Our next monthly Community Hike is April 6th from 10am to Noon. Board member Jennifer M. Ramos will lead an all-ages photography hike at Bull Creek: the fourth hike of the year at Bull Creek. Find details and register, here.
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Yuccas
Although there are only four species of yuccas that are native to Central Texas, about 16 native to the state. They require very little care and survive with almost no irrigation. In the vicinity of Bull Creek, you will find them in the more arid areas.
Usually Yuccas are shrub-like in nature with narrow, sword-shaped leaves. In the spring and early summer, the flowers extend from tall stalks, sometimes six to eight feet high. The flowers are generally white and their shape varies depending on the species. Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. (Wikipedia) That might explain why the stalks producing the flowers look so much like asparagus!
Yucca leaves are thick and covered with a waxy coating to limit the loss of moisture. This is a common trait of plants that grow in an arid climate with little water. The narrow leaves, wax coating, and sharp spines protect the plant from excess light, heat and damage that could result in drying out. The leaves are curved, forming a channel towards the center of the plant. When it rains the leaves channel the water to the center of the plant and into the root system for nourishment and storage. If a drought is particularly severe the leaves will fall off to reduce water loss. The fallen leaves will provide shade to the root system and protect them from further evaporation. Excessive water can damage or kill a Yucca.
Because of the spines, a yucca is resistant to grazing by larger animals, though deer love the flowers. The spines and compact nature of the plant afford protection for small mammals, reptiles, and insects from predators.
Most Yuccas rely on yucca moths for pollination. These moths transfer pollen from the stamen of a plant to the stigma of another while laying eggs in the flower. The hatching moth larva eat some of the seeds, leaving enough for the Yucca to continue to thrive.
Native Americans had many uses for the Yucca including making a soap from the roots, eating the flowers pickled, raw or boiled. The leaves can be used for thatching huts and the entire plant can be used as a protective stockade. The leaves have a low ignition temperature and can be used to start fires via friction. Almost all of the yucca plant can be used as food. The stems, leaf bases, flowers, emerging stalks as well as the fruit of most types of yucca are edible. The stems or trunks of yucca store carbohydrates in chemicals called saponins, which are toxic, not to mention taste of soap.
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