Green and black on yellow

Click for greater clarity.

Yesterday you saw a closeup of the flowers and fruit of Croton capitatus var. lindheimeri, known as woolly croton because of the overall fuzziness of the plant. Another characteristic of it and a few other Croton species in central Texas is that some of their leaves tend to turn yellow or orange, but not necessarily because of cold. This woolly croton leaf had obviously turned a bright yellow, which drew my attention and led me to notice the katydid on it (at least I think that’s what kind of insect this is). Like the last picture, I took this one on a warm October 11 at Southeast Metropolitan Park.

To see the places in the south-central and southeastern United States where woolly croton grows, you can consult the state-clickable map at the USDA website.

© 2012 Steven Schwartzman