Nuts of Texas

Today I was out at Oak Point soaking up vitamin D and noticing the kestrel nesting boxes. Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve is a proud partner organization to the American Kestrel Partnership. I hope to learn what is involved in the partnership. 

Oak Point kestrel March 14, 2014

If I were a kestrel, I would prefer the home on the left with privacy and a view of the low meadow over the one on the right next to the busy bike trail. Location! Location! Location!

My walk took me on the connector trail under Parker Road to Bob Woodruff Park past the historical marker for the William Dexter Prince Memorial Pecan Grove. Having been asked by my out-of-state future daughter-in-law recently if Texas has a state nut, I can now say that the pecan is definitely the designate. [This was not a political discussion.]

Only five states have designated nuts according to State Symbol USA. Alabama and Texas share pecan, California has the almond, Ohio the buckeye, and Oregon the hazelnut/filbert.  In Texas and Ohio the state nut is also the state tree.

William Dexter Prince was a "hobby arborist", according to the marker, and an early CPA in Dallas. He grafted native pecan trees with buds from paper shell pecans to create more tasty hybrids. The squirrels of Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve appreciate his efforts.

 




© 2014-2016 Nancy L. Ruder