ArboretumSA

🌳 I'M STUMPED - REVEAL! 🌳 Beautiful work! You spotted an EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL (Papilio glaucus) nectaring on TEXAS THISTLE (Cirsium texanum)! 🦋💜 This dynamic duo shows the perfect partnership between native plants and pollinators at Arboretum San Antonio! ABOUT THE BUTTERFLY: 🧡💙Gender - The presence of blue and orange spots on the lower wings indicates this is a female, as males typically lack the distinct blue scaling. 🦋 Big & Beautiful - With a wingspan of 3-5.5 inches, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are among our largest butterflies. Those distinctive "tails" on the hindwings give the swallowtail family its name. 🌼 Nectar Seekers - Adults visit a wide variety of flowers for nectar, including (as you can see!) native thistles, milkweed, bee balm, and many garden flowers. ABOUT THE THISTLE: 💜 Native Beauty - Texas Thistle (Cirsium texanum) is a biennial native wildflower that produces gorgeous purple flower heads in spring and early summer. Despite the spiny leaves, it's a pollinator magnet! 🌾 Biennial Life Cycle - Texas Thistle grows as a low rosette of spiny leaves the first year, then sends up a tall flowering stalk (2-5 feet) in its second year before setting seed and dying. 🦜 Goldfinch Favorite - After the flowers fade, the fluffy seed heads are a favorite food source for American Goldfinches and other seed-eating birds! ⚠️ Not All Thistles Are Equal - While Texas Thistle is a beneficial native, be aware that some non-native thistles (like Bull Thistle) can be invasive. Native thistles support our local ecosystem! Come look for Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and see how many pollinators you can spot on our thistle flowers! #ImStumped #ArboretumSA #EasternTigerSwallowtail #Swallowtail #TexasThistle #Butterfly #TexasButterflies #NativePlants #Pollinators #NectarPlants #Wildlife #SanAntonio #NatureEducation #PlantNativePlants

🌳 I'M STUMPED! 🌳 Can you identify this stunning butterfly visiting Arboretum San Antonio? 🦋 Bold black stripes on yellow wings, but we did not show you the rest 🤔 BONUS POINTS: Can you also identify the flowering plant it's feeding on? 💜 Drop your guesses in the comments below! 👇 #ImStumped #ArboretumSA #ButterflyID #NatureChallenge #TexasButterflies #SanAntonio #Pollinators #Wildlife

Kids don’t need fancy stuff. It’s good for our egos but kids love and affection and the space, freedom, and time to be creative. Simple inexpensive implements can be transformed into spaceships, houses, trains in their minds. It’s unfortunately the adult imagination that is limiting.

🌳 I'M STUMPED - REVEAL! 🌳 🌵 Succulent Survivor - Manfreda's thick, fleshy leaves store water, allowing it to survive extended droughts. The leaves grow in a low rosette that hugs the ground, conserving moisture and staying out of the reach of browsing animals. DID YOU KNOW? 🌙 Night Bloomer - Manfreda's tall flower spikes (up to 6 feet!) bloom primarily at NIGHT, releasing an intense, sweet fragrance that attracts nocturnal sphinx moths. During the day, hummingbirds visit, too! 🐆 Spotted for a Reason - Those purple-brown spots on the fleshy leaves aren't just beautiful—they may help camouflage the plant or protect it from intense sun exposure. Each plant has a unique spotting pattern, like fingerprints! 🌵 Succulent Survivor - Manfreda's thick, fleshy leaves store water, allowing it to survive extended droughts. The leaves grow in a low rosette that hugs the ground, conserving moisture and staying out of browsing animals' reach. 🌺 Agave Cousin - Manfreda is closely related to agaves and was actually reclassified—it used to be called Agave maculosa! Like agaves, individual rosettes typically die after flowering, but they produce offsets (pups) to continue the colony. 🌿 Low Maintenance Beauty - Manfreda is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and thrives in rocky, well-drained soils—making it perfectly adapted to our South Texas conditions and a great garden plant for tough spots. 🏜️ South Texas Specialty - While Manfreda ranges across Texas and into Mexico, it's especially common in South Texas and the Edwards Plateau. We're right in the sweet spot for this beautiful native! 🌵 Succulent Survivor - Manfreda's thick, fleshy leaves store water, allowing it to survive extended droughts. The leaves grow in a low rosette that hugs the ground, conserving moisture and staying out of the reach of browsing animals.remove saponins. Come discover this spotted beauty at Arboretum San Antonio—and if you visit at dusk during blooming season, you might catch the incredible fragrance and see those sphinx moths in action! 🌙💚 #ImStumped #ArboretumSA #Manfreda #TexasNatives #Succulent #NativePlants #NightBloomer #SouthTexas #DroughtTolerant #NatureEducation #SanAntonio

🌳 I'M STUMPED! 🌳 Can you identify this Texas native by its unique spots? 👀 HINT: This low-growing succulent produces a TALL flower spike with tubular blooms that attract hummingbirds and sphinx moths at night! 🦋✨ Drop your guess in the comments below! 👇 #ImStumped #ArboretumSA #PlantID #NatureChallenge #TexasNatives #SanAntonio

Join us this Sunday at ¡Viva El Bosque! 🌿 Celebrate, explore, and experience the Arboretum with us! Lace up your outdoor shoes and party in La Fiesta with education partners, music, food and drink, then wander into El Bosque for birding, art, and hands-on nature experiences. 🗓️Sunday, April 26 📍Arboretum 🕥9-1pm RSVP with the link in bio

🦅Join us this Sunday in El Bosque at the Arboretum for hands-on nature experiences as as we celebrate the Trees, Birds, and their special relationship. 🌳Be prepared to experience nature in meaningful ways with nature educators. Outdoor attire recommended and remember the bug spray, hats, and water bottles! Come celebrate with us! 🗓️Sunday, April 26 📍Arboretum 🕥9-1pm RSVP with the link in bio

🌳This Sunday, meet the environmental stewards from across San Antonio who will guide you through engaging, nature-based activities at Viva El Bosque!  🦉We’re partnering with mission aligned organizations to bring you an unforgettable day celebrating the trees and birds and their special relationship.   ✨Join us at the Arboretum San Antonio on Sunday, April 26, 9am-1pm  ✔️RSVP now with the link in bio

🌳 Free Trees & Pruning Principles class at Viva El Bosque with @urbantreecompany ! Pick up your tree, and learn how to prepare, plant, water and prune the newest member of your yard that will provide shade, increase property value, and support the ecosystem. Come learn with us! 🗓️Sunday, April 26 📍Arboretum 🕥9-1pm RSVP with the link in bio 🫶Trees made possible by Urban Canopy and the City of San Antonio Tree Mitigation Fund. Education by Blooming with Birdie

🌳 I'M STUMPED - REVEAL! 🌳 Fantastic! You identified ANACUA (Ehretia anacua), also known as Knockaway or Sandpaper Tree! 🎉 DID YOU KNOW? 🤍 Fragrant Spring Show - In late winter to early spring (February-April), Anacua produces abundant clusters of small, fragrant white flowers that perfume the air with a sweet, honey-like scent. Pollinators absolutely love them! 🍊 Bird Magnet Berries - After flowering, the tree produces small orange to yellow berries that are a wildlife FAVORITE! Cedar waxwings, mockingbirds, robins, and dozens of other bird species flock to feast on these nutritious fruits in spring and early summer. 📜 Sandpaper Leaves - Touch an Anacua leaf and you'll immediately understand one of its common names! The leaves have a distinctively rough, sandpaper-like texture on top due to tiny stiff hairs. This adaptation helps reduce water loss in hot, dry conditions. 💪 Tough & Adaptable - Once established, Anacua is drought-tolerant and can handle our alkaline soils, salt spray (in coastal areas), and extreme heat. It's a true South Texas survivor! FUN FACT: The name "Anacua" comes from the Mexican Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) language. "Knockaway" refers to the hard, durable wood that was traditionally used for tool handles and fence posts—it could really "knock away" at tough jobs! Come experience this South Texas specialty at Arboretum San Antonio—breathe in the fragrant spring blooms and watch for the birds feasting on berries! 🤍💚 #ImStumped #ArboretumSA #Anacua #Knockaway #TexasTrees #SouthTexasNative #NativeTrees #WildlifeTree #BirdMagnet #SanAntonio #NatureEducation #RareTree #EdgewOfRange

Getting excited about giving away trees at the Arboretum San Antonio, Sunday, 26 April at the Viva El Bosque event from 9-1pm.

🌳 I'M STUMPED! 🌳 Can you identify this South Texas native by its clusters of fragrant white flowers? 🤍 The leaves have a distinct feel, and birds go CRAZY for the berries! Drop your guess in the comments below! 👇 #ImStumped #ArboretumSA #TreeID #NatureChallenge #TexasTrees #SanAntonio #SouthTexasNative #WhiteFlowers