These photos were taken this morning in one of the worst hit areas of the Bastrop State Park fire almost 9 months later. The incredible amount of new growth is just a wonder to see, especially since my first visit when there was nothing green at all to be found anywhere. It boogles the mind. What is truely amazing are the forests of Pokeweed, huge forests of it, much of it taller than I. Oh if I only had my bacon and a bucket eariler in the season! Some very interesting plants are sprouting, and some of them are complete strangers to me. I gave up on trying to ID the numerous grasses I just had no clue about. Here are a few photos of really odd plants we found. I was with Byron Stone this morning whom you shall see in a photo below. The photo above is ofRattlesnake master and is about 3' high
Here is a close up of the un-opened flowers of that plant.
This small patch of what appeared to be a small agave was far back in the burn. Manfreda maculosa, it the the sole host plant for the near extinct butterfly the
Manfreda Giant-Skipper
Stallingsia maculosus
This Skullcap (?) is one I do not recognize
Dr. Birdie at an old pickup in the forest...Note the Poke Berry forest that has surged into being....None of this was here in March
And finally this 2' tall clump of a composite that was just brillant!...I thought at first it was Ironweed but the very narrow leaves and larger blooms left me wondering.
