It’s not a complicated device: just some purple plastic, coated with glue and baited with a clear pouch containing a lure– but this emerald ash borer (EAB) trap is a scientifically-designed instrument and serves as our first line of defense against EAB infestation. Since 2011, Texas A&M Forest Service entomologists have been placing these traps in ash trees across Texas looking for the emerald ash borer. The trap is known as a purple prism trap and is designed to catch adult EAB after they emerge in the spring. A specific shade of purple is used as it has been proven to be effective in attracting female buprestid beetles. The female EAB equate the purple color with the appearance of an ash tree trunk where they lay eggs. Male buprestids, including EAB, are more attracted to a green color which is something that these visual insects would except to see in a tree canopy.
Traps are held in the open position by a pot metal spreader to which raising/lowering lines are affixed as well as the EAB lure. Emerald ash borers, being visual creatures, do not use pheromones to locate mates as extensively as other insects such as bark beetles for example. EAB lures are clear pouches containing z-3 Hexenol, an alcohol compound used to mimic the volatile smells given off by ash foliage.
Traps are coated with a very sticky glue that persists the length of the 120-day trapping season. Swarming, aggregating, and mating EAB become entangled in the glue and cannot escape. Traps are hung in ash trees throughout the target county and checked after 60 days to see if any EAB have been caught. At this time, a new hexenol lure is attached and trapping resumes for another 60 days. After 120 total days of trapping, the traps are checked again for EAB and then removed from the locations. Traps in counties where EAB has been reported, are checked weekly. All caught EAB are removed and labelled with date of collection and trap name. Collected samples are then sexed to determine the emergence timing of males vs. females and the opening and closing of the adult flight period window.
Since the confirmation of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus plannipennis, in Tarrant County (2018) and Denton County (2020), interest in EAB management in the Metroplex has increased. The Texas A&M Forest Service has been on the lookout for this most destructive forest pest since 2011 when 300 EAB traps were deployed in areas of east Texas with notable ash populations. This year, approximately 500 EAB traps will deployed across Texas to provide a measure of early detection. Most of the traps will be scattered throughout east Texas with almost 40 traps covering the Conroe/Houston/Galveston area. Traps are already deployed for 2022 along the I-35 corridor from San Antonio to the Metroplex. Dallas, Denton, Tarrant and surrounding Metroplex counties will host approximately 100 EAB traps. Traps will be located in parks, cemeteries, natural areas, and on rural private lands that contain a sizable ash tree population.
If you have any questions about emerald ash borers, EAB trapping or EAB management, please contact your local Texas A&M Forest Service office.
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The saucer magnolia is a hybrid exotic ornamental species planted in the Cross Timbers. The X in the scientific name (Magnolia x soulangeana) indicates that this a hybrid species; it was created by crossing two species within the Yuliana subgenus: Yulan magnolia (M. denudata) and purple magnolia (M. liliflora). Saucer magnolia combines the traits of the larger Yulan magnolia with the more colorful but small statured purple magnolia to create a medium size tree with pinkish-white flowers. Both parent species of this hybrid are exotic to North America.
Although a member of the Magnolia genus, this hybrid is in subgenus Yuliana which differs in flower structure from the Magnolia subgenus. Furthermore, all species in the Yuliana subgenus are deciduous, while the Magnolia subgenus contains both deciduous and evergreen species such as our southern magnolia. While southern magnolia is the most well-known native magnolia, there are actually ten magnolia species native to the United States (if you include Puerto Rico).
Saucer magnolia is distinct in early spring as its flowers bloom prior to leaf out. The large, showy, pink-and-white flowers typically appear in early March. Interestingly, the common name seems to come from the cup-and-saucer shape of the flowers in many varieties. The bark is light colored and the leaves are a bright green color with a distinct ovate shape. The buds alternate on the twig and are large, green, and fuzzy through the winter. The trunk is almost always multi-stemmed but is still capable of reaching 20-30 feet in height (usually 25 feet when fully grown). Trunk diameters over 10 inches in the Cross Timbers are uncommon for this medium-size tree.
In the Arlington Woodland West neighborhood, many original homeowners chose to plant saucer magnolia as memorial trees for a spouse or loved ones. Although decades have passed in some cases, the trees are still growing for the generations that followed. Though the trees are not native and not particularly drought tolerant, they are thriving and have survived for many years at these homes.
Although not native, this magnolia’s dazzling early flowers and proven compatibility with post oak forests make saucer magnolia a unique tree of North TexasPart of the resilience of saucer magnolia in this Arlington neighborhood is due to the extensive shade provided by numerous post oaks. In North Texas, saucer magnolias probably do best when planted in shady or partly shady conditions; shade and soil quality are important factors to help these trees tolerate Texas heat. This tree can also grow under building overhangs thanks to its shade tolerance but remember this tree will likely reach at least 20 feet height. Care for this species should include supplemental summer watering; watering lawns for grasses should be sufficient to water established saucer magnolias except in extremely hot and dry weather or drought periods. Saucer magnolia prefers acidic soil and likely will not tolerate heavy clay soils. The species is cold tolerant and survived the 2021 Winter Storm with no problems. Pruning is necessary to keep tree out of walkways due to the drooping nature of the crown.
Although not native, this magnolia’s dazzling early flowers and proven compatibility with post oak forests make saucer magnolia a unique tree of North Texas.
The Texas Winter Storm of 2021 was one for the record books, the first billion-dollar weather disaster of a long and severe weather year https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/. Not all those billions of dollars were made up of plant related losses, but billions of plants were lost on farms and in landscapes in North Texas.
While we can’t control the weather, there are some simple things that we can do to help our plants make it through whatever this winter brings.
Top Tips for Winter (plant) Wellness
Turn off the irrigation system
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You too can save thousands of gallons of water with one finger. In the winter months, precipitation often exceeds the amount of water that mostly dormant North Texas landscapes require. Excess irrigation can contribute to disease development and unnecessarily large water bills. Save water and your irrigation budget for when it is needed most. There is another big benefit to turning the system switch to the off position: avoiding l man-made ice events and any subsequent accidents.
Mulch
There is a reason that leaves fall before winter. Using leaves as mulch is a simple and effective way to recycle organic material and improve the landscape. Leaves can be used as mulch in vegetable gardens, flower beds and around shrubs and trees. Apply a 3-to-6-inch layer of shredded or crushed leaves around the base of trees and shrubs. Avoid the dreaded mulch volcano effect by keeping mulch away from tree trunks and shrub crowns. In annual and perennial flower beds, a 2-to-3-inch mulch of shredded leaves is ideal. Mulching is especially important in establishing newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials. If the natural look of shredded leaves isn’t what you like, top off the leaf mulch with a thin, inexpensive layer of bark mulch. You’ll get all the benefits of bark at a fraction of the cost.
Water right before a freeze
When extremely cold temperatures are expected, watering plants thoroughly before temperatures drop will hold heat in the soil. A “wet cold” may be unpleasant for people, but it is warmer than a “dry cold.” Moist soil holds about four times more heat than dry soil and the air temperatures above moist soil can be as much as 5°Fwarmer than air temperatures above dry soil. Mulch will help hold that moisture in the soil and minimize temperature fluctuations in the root zone.
Prioritizing plant protection
Many of the most commonly used landscape plants in North Texas come to us from even colder climates and will make it through our cold weather just fine. Our North Texas native plants should be able to handle our “normal” winters. Tropical and subtropical choices such as palms, cycads, and citrus will definitively need extra help.
The winter annuals most frequently planted in North Central Texas: pansies, violas, and ornamental coles such as cabbage and kale, are suitable for planting all way into USDA Hardiness Zone 4 where temperatures fall to -20 F. While they may slow down a bit in cold weather, they’ll be up and blooming again soon.
The relative cold hardiness of annuals brings up another important point. Plants that only live one year are often not protected because they will be replaced in a relatively short time anyway. Save time consuming cold protection practices for more valuable, longer-lived specimens.
To cover or not to cover
As people pile on the extra blankets to hold in body heat, they often want to pile covers on their plants. While a person can bundle up and hold in body heat, the heat that a plant cover can hold in is going to come from the ground. Therefore plant coverings must be large enough to cover the plants all the way down to the ground and must be anchored. Rocks, bricks, and container plants can be convenient anchors. It is ok to use old sheets and blankets for covering, but non-woven frost protection fabrics offer several benefits. They consistently provide 2-4 degrees F of protection and transmit enough light to plants to keep them photosynthesizing while covered during prolonged periods of cold weather. Plastic covering should only be used on a frame that keeps the plastic above the plants. A string of Christmas lights can be used to provide additional heat under this type of cover. Old-fashioned C7 lights under plastic covered frame can raise temperatures by as much as 18 degrees F.
Consider containers
Plants in containers are more susceptible to cold damage than those with roots in the ground. On the other hand, because they are not in the ground, they can be moved indoors or at least into a more protected outdoor area such as under a covered patio. Simply grouping containers together will help them stay warm. Covers placed over containerized plants should reach all the way to the ground, just as they should for in ground plants to hold heat that will radiate from the soil or driveway or patio surface.
Prune prudently
Trees should be regularly pruned to minimize the potential for damage during snow and ice storms. The strongest tree has a central leader, or a trunk that extends all the way to the top of the tree, and branches that are attached at wide angles. A nearly horizontal branch is not more likely to fail than one that is nearly upright. Dead branches are going to fall eventually, and even a light snowfall can knock them right out of a tree. Always prune to remove dead or damaged branches as soon as you notice them and to avoid additional damage to people, plants, and power lines below. Hiring an ISA Certified Arborist is the best way to protect the largest and most valuable components of your landscape. Find one at https://www.treesaregood.org/
Cutting back herbaceous perennials such as salvias, buddleias, and Turk’s Cap after the first hard freeze and applying fresh mulch over their roots will help them survive the winter. Ornamental bunch grasses can use frozen foliage to protect the growing points of the plant which are down at the base of the clump. Another benefit to not cutting back ornamental grasses until new growth comes out in the spring is the color and texture that they continue to provide in the landscape.
Get outdoors!
Both you and your plants will be healthier if you spend time outdoors even in cold weather. Take time to enjoy those brave winter bloomers and tough trees and shrubs.
