Sorry I don't have better pictures. My camera is only 3.0 megapixels. I tried to get a variety of shots. These trees are on my new property in San Antonio TX, which now has a house 98% built on it.
I've been told by the builder that some are "scrub oaks", and some are "cedar or some type of fir", and that the "cedar type" would probably have to be removed as they are taking up all the water and starving the oaks.
Here's the pics:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/cajuntec/DSCF0877.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/cajuntec/DSCF0876.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/cajuntec/DSCF0879.jpg)
Thanks in advance! I hope someone can figure out what they are from these pics.
All the best,
Glenn
Look like Cedars to me.Could be Juniper too. Peel a piece of bark off and smell it. There are some bowyers who really like cedar/juniper for limb veneers.
looks like red cedar to me. like Tom said peel the bark & smell it.
Tom, Cedar is a true juniper....well that is what I read.
No expert, but looks like cedar too me.
Good wood layed up for limbs eh Sal?
Most likely Juniper. I could be more sure with a close-up of the needle(scales)
Don't know about them taking up all the water, seems a little odd to me. Most of the cedars around my area are on dry ground, seems like they'd be in the wet areas if they liked water that much. But I'm no biologist either.
Salt Cedar they are good for fence post's nothing else, Cut them down.
As its known here it's cedar. Its actually a form of mountain juniper. The oaks are most likely post oaks or scrubs. I would keep em all. Just trim them up nice and see how they look. It's hard to beat the native trees. As long as the roots didn't get compacted or a bunch of fill put over the drip line they should be fine.
Where are you located in SA? Im in Boerne just outside of SA.
SL
Thanks for all the replies. I greatly appreciate you all taking the time to respond.
I think it has more to do with the height / branches of the cedars blocking the oaks from getting to the sunlight than actually taking up all the water, but I don't really know for sure. I was told that the oaks would grow much better if I took out a "few" of the cedars, as they are blocking the oaks.
SL - I'm in a newer subdivision called "Alamo Ranch". It's right across the highway from Sea World San Antonio - off the 1604 loop where it becomes 151. I'm actually not living there just yet - my wife and son are in San Antonio, and I am joining them July 5th (driving down there this week), and we close on our house on July 17th. I've fished in Boerne the last time I came to visit - at Boerne lake, but only from the shoreline. Glad to see that there is actually a trad archer or two in the area. Can you give me any info on shooting clubs, ranges, etc...? Thanks!
All the best,
Glenn
Alamo Ranch is nice. You will like it there. I don't really know of any good trad ranges. There is suppose to be a shoot over at Camp Bullis but I never could find anything out about it. There are some local archery ranges but they're pretty steril as far as shooting goes -lanes only etc.
I usally shoot at the house or out at a buddy's lease.
PM me when you get settled. Maybe we can get together for a cup of coffee.
SL
Sounds good. I appreciate it. Looking forward to making some new friends in TX. So far, every time I go to visit my family, I like it more and more, which I didn't think was possible after my very first trip - I was really enjoying everything from day one. I just hope all that good food there doesn't catch up with me. :D
All the best,
Glenn
They look like the only cool patch of shade that you've got. Don't see any oaks under them...maybe plant some oaks to the side.
I think it's Sea World that's taking all the water. :D
Killdeer
Looks like red cedar/juniper....
I doubt they are taking water from the oaks...
Those junipers love limestone, from the pics it appears you have plenty of lime in the soil and are on a slight hill.
That is probably the oaks problem...
Get a thornless Osage, Osage and Juniper like the same environment..
onemississipp - You are probably onto something there - tons of limestone, and my house is built into that hill - the garage is actually sunk into the hill, with the rest of the house built up so that it's level.
In fact, my house now has a limestone front facing that was taken directly from the ground these houses were built on. Here's the most recent picture I have of it:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/cajuntec/Housepicture.jpg)
The ground is hard - very hard. We were told that we would have to get someone to come dig through this stuff in order to plant trees, as we would never get through it with a shovel - and there were only certain ones that would grow here. I'll look into the thornless Osage recommendation. My wife also mentioned Satsuma and Grapefruit trees.
All the best,
Glenn
I love stone houses....very nice.
Ash, juniper [cedar], Texas oak, and stunted live oak are the dominate species in your area. From what I can see those are oaks with the cedar. Most folks in the Hill Country elimnate the cedars and allow the more valuable trees and vegetation to remain.
Cedar is a huge water user. It historically was kept in check by fire, but since we have done such a good job eliminating fire from the natural environment, cedar has spread unchecked pushing out the native species that were once prominent due to their fire resistance. Cedar is not tolerant of fire.
I wouldn't recommend osage for that area unless it was in a bottom.
That is a beautiful home, and the fact you reused the stone from under the homes is a big plus!
Thornless Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera 'inermis')
http://www.sunshinenursery.com/catalogue.htm
other names
'White Shield', 'Park', and 'Wichita'. 'White Shield'
With all the limestone around you should have chert/flint for flintknapping also...
You being in San Antonio, TX helps also..
Well, we closed on the house, and have moved in.
The developer said the oaks were simply known as "live oaks", which kinda makes some sense, because they look like miniature versions of the live oaks in my home state of Louisiana. They estimate mine are about 50 years old. They said they grow really slowly around here.
The others he simply called "junk" red cedars, and suggested that I cut them down immediately. I did so today, and my back and shoulders are killing me. My whole back yard smells like a cedar chest. Took me forever to get the cedar shavings out of my hair when I took a shower afterwards.
I removed 8 of them from among the oaks, leaving only the oaks standing, with one other little 3" diameter tree right in the middle of that grove of trees - he claimed it was a persimmon tree, and suggested that I let it stay, so I did.
Everywhere a branch from those cedars scratched my skin - it itches tonight. I put some anti-itch meds on the scratches and it helps.
Anyway.... the yard looks much better with just the oaks and no more cedars. Every one of the cedars had ants in them. I didn't see any ants on the oaks, and I looked really well. Time to call an exterminator to treat my yard. Don't want my 4 year old getting bit by ants!
Looking closely at the oak trees tonight, my son found something really neat - a chameleon! Then we found another one! Really neat to see these sorts of things in my back yard. Right before moving in, we found a walking stick (the insect) in our garage. There are so many bugs and creatures around here that I've never seen before. My son is loving it!
Thanks for all the responses and help. The official description now has become "oaks", and "that pile over there getting ready to be hauled away". Ha! :D
I loved Sea World i Work there for a week it is a beautiful area you have moved to. The reason they are small at 50 is, all of Oaks around here are a faster growing shorter lived version that came up after a bad bug got them back in the early 1900's that is why the ones in the South grow fast and the ones everywhere else are slower longer live Oaks. Or so i have been told by some biologist and plant people i know.
thanks for the look at S.A., even if it was only your yard. brought back a lot of memories for me. i lived across from La Cantera for a few years. I miss that part of the world terribly. Those trees were what we called mountain cedar. If you make your own arrows you should give it a try. Also, there are lots and lots of turkey around that area, at least last time i lived there. Welcome to Texas
Wish I could find a place to hunt turkey around here. From what all the locals tell me, if I don't know someone, I'm stuck getting a (expensive) lease (if I can find one available) or go to a "trophy farm", which is also expensive as heck. I'm looking though!
All the best,
Glenn