Dropping with the drought
The most common native tree in many of the hilly parts of Austin is the Ashe juniper, Juniperus ashei, colloquially called cedar. Perhaps a dozen of these trees inhabit my yard, and in dry spells they shed some of their scaly leaves, which join the female trees’ previously shed grayish-purple fruits on the ground. Together the fallen leaves and fruits are dense enough in places to form an opaque blanket, as this picture taken yesterday morning confirms.
© 2011 Steven Schwartzman
(Check the USDA website for more information about Juniperus ashei, including a clickable map showing where the species grows.)