Contrasting huisaches

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On my way home from McKinney Falls State Park on March 1st I spied some huisache trees in the woods to the east of US 183. I took the first right turn, then another, and followed a narrow road that curved and led me to a descending jeep trail just passable, at slow speed, for my car. I was glad I ventured down because I found the striking contrast in huisaches shown here. In the foreground you see part of a relatively low and densely flowering tree. Beyond it was the tallest huisache I’ve ever seen. Trees of Central Texas (written by a man named Vines!) says that Acacia farnesiana can reach 30 feet, but I think the one here was a good deal taller. All the lower portions of that venerable tree looked dark and dead, without a single leaf or shoot anywhere, nor any flower, but the crown was thoroughly alive and spread majestically into new branches and leaves and blossoms.

© 2013 Steven Schwartzman