Belterra - June 2021 by Peel, Inc.

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THE BULLETIN

Bul leti N June 2021 Volume 3, Issue 06

News for the Residents of Belterra

The Bulletin - June 2021

THE BULLETIN

The Bulletin - June 2021

THE BULLETIN IMPORTANT NUMBERS By Cheryl Conley If you’re like me, you’re making regular trips to the nursery to replace plants lost during the big freeze in February. I’ve decided to plant more native plants and those specifically recommended for Texas landscapes because of the benefits they offer. Certain plants, trees and shrubs are better suited to our soil and climate conditions and are more resistant to insects and diseases. Some of the plants, shrubs and trees you might want to consider are: • Turk’s cap – some nurseries refer to this shrub as a Drummond wax mallow. It gets 2 to 3 feet tall and prefers partial shade. It gets bright red flowers and got its name because the flower resembles a Turkish turban. • Dwarf Mexican petunia – this plant gets about a foot tall and spreads so make sure you give it plenty of room. If it gets out of hand, you can always dig up the plants that are spreading too far. It likes sandy soil. • Gulf coast muhly grass – this is a green, airy ornamental grass getting 2 to 3 feet tall. Its real beauty happens in the fall when the top foot or so turns a lovely purple. I love these en masse! • Texas lantana – talk about a tough plant! Lantana grows best in full sun. It flowers profusely and once established, requires very little care. • Eastern purple coneflower – This beautiful plant blooms profusely spring through summer and attracts butterflies. • Heartleaf rosemallow – this is a type of hibiscus. It produces bright red flowers all year as long as it stays above freezing. It’s very droughttolerant. • Texas sage – this is a shrub that produces purple, bell-shaped flowers year-round. It can reach 8 feet tall but it looks best if you keep it pruned back. • Nuttall Oak – this is one of the best large shade trees to plant in the Houston area. It’s a red oak that is native to Houston. It can be difficult to find, however. • Drake elm – this is a fast-growing shade tree and is also known as a Chinese elm. It’s a beautiful tree and can survive in many soil conditions. Some nurseries in the area have sections that are devoted to native plants. This makes it much easier to plan your landscaping. You can also do a search on the internet for native Texas plants. Happy gardening! Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

EMERGENCY ...................................................911 Ambulance / Fire..................................................911 SCHOOLS

Dripping Springs ISD......................... 512-858-3000 Dripping Springs Elementary.............. 512-858-3700 Walnut Springs Elementary................. 512-858-3800 Rooster Springs Elementary................. 512-465-6200 Dripping Springs Middle School......... 512-858-3400 Dripping Springs High School............ 512-858-3100 UTILITIES

Water – WCID # 1 & 2...................... 512-246-0498 Trash – Texas Disposal......................... 512-246-0498 Gas – Texas Community Propane........ 512-272-5503 Electricity – Pedernales Electric........... 512-858-5611 OTHER

Oak Hill Post Office ........................... 512-892-2794 Animal Control................................... 512-393-7896 NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER

Peel, Inc.............................................. 512-263-9181 Article Submissions...................belterra@peelinc.com Advertising.............................advertising@peelinc.com ............................................................512-263-9181 The Bulletin - June 2021

THE BULLETIN

Immature leaffooted bugs.

Adult leaffooted bug.

Leaffooted bug adults may be mistaken for stink bugs while the immatures may get confused with assassin bug nymphs. Leaffooted bugs are larger than stink bugs and have an elongated body. Often, leaffooted bugs have an expanded region on their hind leg that looks similar to a leaf, hence the name leaffooted bug. Adults are fairly large and grayish-brown. Immatures, or nymphs, look similar to adults, but are often reddish-orange in color and do not have fully developed wings. Leaffooted bugs feed on a variety of fruits, nuts and seeds, such as tomatoes, peppers, pecans or sunflower seeds. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts with which they puncture fruit to suck out juices. The opening left behind after the mouthpart is withdrawn can allow access to secondary invaders like bacteria or fungus. Leaffooted bugs can be managed by hand-picking (be sure to wear gloves if utilizing this method), using hand-held vacuums to suck the insects off the plant, or by treating the plants with pesticides. If choosing to use a pesticide, read the product label and make sure it can be used in the area you are treating (i.e. vegetable garden). For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. Check out my blog at www.urban-ipm.blogspot.com The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service or the Texas A&M AgriLife Research is implied. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides equal access in its programs, activities, education and employment, without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity. 4

The Bulletin - June 2021

THE BULLETIN meet the salamanders by Jim and Lynne Weber

NW-Austin Blind Salamander Rare and under threat of decreasing population, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has stated that the Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea tonkawae) warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act, due to its habitat undergoing rapid degradation as a result of urban and suburban sprawl. Found only in the wet springs and caves of the Jollyville segment of the Edwards Plateau region of Travis and Williamson counties, the area this salamander inhabits is roughly bounded by the Colorado River, Mopac (Loop 1), Lake Travis, and U.S. 183. More specifically, its known range is limited to only six stream drainages, all of which are facing water quality issues. Very little is known about this small, localized amphibian. Juvenile Jollyville Plateau Salamanders are less than 1.5 inches long, and the adults grow to up to 2 inches long. They have large well-developed eyes, wide yellowish heads, feathery external gills, blunt rounded snouts, dark greenish-brown bodies, and yellowish-orange tails. Most salamanders have feather-like external gills when they are young, but the Jollyville Plateau Salamander is neotenic, or keeps these external gills and remains aquatic for its entire adult life. Since they never take a terrestrial form, these salamanders prefer cool, shallow, clean water containing loose gravel. During drier periods, they remain in underground caves and water is provided for them by the infiltration of surface water through the soil into the aquifer which discharges from the springs as groundwater. Two other local salamanders have received protected status by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. These are the Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum) and its lesser-known cousin the Austin Blind Salamander (Eurycea waterlooensis). Urbanization has been known to cause excess sediment to accumulate into the aquifer these salamanders inhabit and this sediment impairs their ability to avoid predators, locate food, and find mates. In addition, development of upstream salamander habitat provides sources of various other pollutants such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and petroleum products. During rainstorms, water runs off these urban areas and transports these pollutants into the salamander’s aquatic habitat. This degradation of water quality has been shown to be linked to deformities of the Jollyville salamander in some locations, as well as to declines in abundance of salamanders compared to areas that are undeveloped. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

While the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) provides some water quality benefits for the Jollyville Plateau Salamander through the preservation of drainages in the open space, several of the areas within its range have been or are being affected by water quality degradation occurring upstream and outside of the preserved tracts. Work is being done to monitor and improve these areas within the BCP, but residents in neighborhoods surrounding the preserve can go a long way in helping to restore and maintain water quality by carefully disposing motor vehicle fluids, washing cars at a commercial car wash (where the water is captured & recycled), fertilizing wisely (organically), using compost, and planting native plants that have no need for chemical pesticides & herbicides. And lastly, do what you can to help support the purchase and preservation of open space, unique natural features, and rare inhabitants of the hill country -- it Keeps Austin Beautiful! Send your nature-related questions to naturewatch@austin.rr.com and we’ll do our best to answer them. If you enjoy reading these articles, check out our books, Nature Watch Austin, Nature Watch Big Bend, and Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies (all published by Texas A&M University Press), and our blog at naturewatchaustin.blogspot.com.

NW-Barton Springs Salamander The Bulletin - June 2021

THE BULLETIN At no time will any source be allowed to use The Bulletin's contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in The Bulletin is exclusively for the private use of the residents Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.

The Bulletin - June 2021

THE BULLETIN

The Bulletin - June 2021

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The Bulletin - June 2021