Jara Dulce

Full sun. Nearly evergreen, with narrow willow-like leaves and airy foliage. Greenish flowers and silvery seedheads appear in autumn, ascending in plumelike boughs. It is one of very few hedge-like plants native to Bexar County, once widely planted to prevent erosion during the Dust Bowl (as nicknames like Roosevelt Weed and Poverty Weed attest.) One of the first pioneers in any abandoned farm field or new subdivision, it’s more likely encountered as a weedy volunteer than for sale in a nursery; it spreads quickly in any disturbed soil.

Consider retaining it in native landscapes, alleyways, hedgerows, and other edges for instant wildscaping. It attracts birds and butterflies; Jara Dulce (“Sweet Rock Rose”) describes the effect it has on migrating butterflies, especially in autumn.