Dropping with the drought

Fallen leaves and fruit of Juniperus ashei.

The most common native tree in many of the hilly parts of Austin is the Ashe juniper, Juniperus ashei, colloquially called cedar. Perhaps a dozen of these trees inhabit my yard, and in dry spells they shed some of their scaly leaves, which join the female trees’ previously shed grayish-purple fruits on the ground. Together the fallen leaves and fruits are dense enough in places to form an opaque blanket, as this picture taken yesterday morning confirms.

© 2011 Steven Schwartzman

(Check the USDA website for more information about Juniperus ashei, including a clickable map showing where the species grows.)