Devil’s shoestring

Making its debut here today from an outing along Bull Creek on July 12th is Nolina lindheimeriana, a plant in the lily family that reminds some people of a yucca. The picture below shows that as the inflorescence ages, its parts end up looking almost like they were made out of old paper or thin plastic; a few people might even see potato chips. A vernacular name for this species is devil’s shoestring, whose second word references the fact that the plant’s leaves grow up to 30 inches long but are no more than 5/16 of an inch wide.

For much more information about this species, including dozens of photographs,
check out its entry on the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website.

 

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You can also check out an interesting article from Interesting Engineering about the effects that urban lighting has had on plants. Some of the effects are positive, including a longer season for growing vegetables, and others negative, including an extended allergy season for susceptible people.

 

© 2022 Steven Schwartzman