Have not seen the Texas Torchwood before. TAMU & DG have it rated to Zone 9. Is there much chance it would be root hardy well into 8A?

I'm 8B and it has never shown any freeze damage. I think it would be a good bet for 8A.

Eric- great post and pics! I grow amyris texana & madrensis. Both have been tough, cold hardy and resilient. Carolina Buckthorn has been attractive & carefree. I've not grown coyotillo, but I'd like to- neat plant.

I just saw the Texas torchwood at Barton Springs Nursery in Austin.

Thanks for the confirmations that Torchwood is likely to survive 8a.

Hey Eric would you mind saving some fruits from the torchwood for me?

Patty got in touch with Mary Irish , who is in charge of SABG plant sales, and she says several Torchwoods will be available at the Oct. 14/15 sale and they possibly have a couple of Carolina buckthorns left. She will let us know for sure when she had a chance to check.

What a great post, with introductions to these marvelous Texas native shrubs!

I know you said that Carolina Buckthorn prefers alkaline soil, but it's native in the woods of east Texas, which are more likely acidic than alkaline. I love the glossy leaves, and the form of the small tree here is similar to a dogwood. I think every berry on it sprouts, at least in my yard!

Cool! BD

BTW, I do read that Torchwood in general is edible, but does anyone know if Texas Torchwood specifically is too?

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Torchwood is very few people know about it these days yet it was once an esteemed wood and produces an edible, citrusy fruit.

Torchwood family (Burseraceae)

The fruit arils may be edible but are too small to harvest, except by birds.
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Also, are Carolina Buckthorn (Frangula caroliniana) fruits edible? This guy says they are edible both raw and cooked (and ripe when deep purple or black)...but another source says:

Songbirds and other wildlife consume the berries, which apparently have medicinal properties but can be toxic.

Carolina Buckthorn EDIBLE MEDICINAL

common buckthorn is not and works as a very, very powerful laxative.

I'm sorry, but a plant of which "every part contains neurotoxins" is NOT "underappreciated".

I will be sure to look out for it and pull it at every opportunity, should I be misfortunate enough to find it in my yard.

"The toxins typically induce paralysis, which is often followed by death.
However, it often takes days or even weeks after consumption for the
symptoms to manifest."

Yeah. Not something I want around the kids, whether of the "neighbor" or "grand" variety.

Sago palm , oleander

I have some Amyris texana growing in my backyard in San Antonio. About 5 large plants (3-6 feet high, 3 feet+ wide as they tend to droop since the branches cant hold up the weight of the many leaves). My soil is mostly clay mixed with rocks. They moderately self-seed. They made it through the big-freeze/snow of 2021 and look like it never happened.

I grow them as they are a hostplant for the Giant Swallowtail butterfly. Flocks of small birds like eating their drupes too.

i have a Texas torchwood given to me by Eric. Happy Zahn, where did you get yours? It’ a very worthy plant, but I have never seen them for sale at nurseries. i didn’t know they were Giant Swallowtail hosts!!!! That’s all the more reason to grow them.

They had them yesterday in Austin at Barton Springs nursery. ...sorry, not SA.

I got mine from Eric too. One is doing well and the other not so well. I think it is the soil and no water .

THIS LINK has a photo of my Texas Torchwood if anyone is interested. Mine also sailed through the big freeze with no problems.

I just picked up a red fairy duster. Actually it is a hybrid of the pink with the red to make it more cold hardy , but it has red blooms. They are not seen that muchg except in Ragna's yard and now I hope mine.

I just ran down a Texas Torchwood on-line yesterday at National Butterfly Center (got the last one they had to sell). They were very nice to do business with over the phone and called me back promptly as promised. https://www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/. Shipping was more than the shrub, but we don't have a native plant supplier local. I want one of these shrubs to plant down at our rural cabin acreage in Gause to attract even more pollinators.

How did everyone's Texas Torchwoods do through winter storm Uri in 2021?

Mine in San Antonio never missed a beat!