Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

I went out for a short walk this morning. With the daily highs above 100, the best times for a hike are in the morning or in the afternoon. Nicely though, that is also the best time for photography with a soft, diffuse light which eliminates harsh shadows.

Usually on my hikes, I'll notice common patterns. I think this is due to my mood or mind-set, but whatever the cause, the theme that I picked up on this morning, is that various plants are putting out fruits or seeds. After the spring rains and before the peak of summer, these plants are producing fruit,  perhaps as an insurance policy for the future.

There's a patch of bristlegrass right in our front yard. I've seen it many times before, so why did it catch my eye this morning? It was something about the beautiful way it waved in the breeze. The seed heads are about 2 feet above the ground and they are turning a yellow color as they mature. I'm not sure exactly what species it is, but I'm pretty sure it's a native.

A little further along, just outside our gate, I saw a Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) with many berries. Most of them are still green, but you can see a ripe, black one. The berries are edible and quite sweet. I've tried them before. The only drawback is that the dark juice can stain your fingers, mouth, and clothes!

And finally, many of our Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) cactus are bearing fruit. The deeply-colored pears are also edible, but I've never tried them. They too have spines, so you have to peel them carefully.