Mountain Mahogany |
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Cercocarpus montanus var. argenteus Mountain mahogany is beautiful in late summer and fall, when the white tails of the fruit look like a threaded needle or a narrow, delicate feather. It is found on the limestone soils of the rolling plains and northern Trans-Pecos on rocky uplands. |
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The leaves and twigs are browsed by elk and deer. It is an excellent species for reclamating distured areas. |
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| Suggested Uses: Wildlife habitat, erosion control. | ||||
The bark is grayish, scaly, and checkered. The twigs of this tree are rigged and the lateral twigs often spur-like, bright red -brown, and at first hairy, finally ashen or reddish gray and smooth. It's crown grows very wide, and it is a skinny wiry tree. |
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| Soft fuzzy hairs cover both the top and bottom of the leaves. The flowers are small and grow singly or on fascicles at the end of short spurs. They flower from March to June. | ||||
The main adaption is dwarfing (getting smaller to survive). It dwarfs because of severe drought, changes of climate, and the poor soil. This tree seems to be invincible because it cannot be killed by an axe (it cannot be killed by taking chops at it), drought or fire, so it has been given the name "hardtack". |
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