I saw some Antelope Horn (Ascleipias asperula) flowers earlier this week, so when I headed out this morning for my hike, I was primed to look out for them. Antelope horns are a member of the milkweed family and are a prime source of food for Monarch  butterflies (Danaus plexippus) as they pass through this part of the country.

The flowers form neat spherical clumps. Each tiny flower is a five-pointed star about 1/4 inches across. In this photo, you can see them in various stages of opening. There’s even a tiny insect friend. Can you spot it?

Antelope Horn Flower

I came across these unopened flowers. I’m not sure what they are, since they’re so tightly wrapped, but I suspect they’re a rain lily. The rolled up flowers are about a 1/2 inch long. I was surprised they were still closed because it was not early in the morning. The sky was overcast and a bit gloomy, so perhaps their cue to open is not the time of day, but the amount of sunlight.

Closed Flowers

We have many Texas Persimmons (Diospyros texana) on our property and I always notice their smooth bark and large berries. The unripe berries are a bright green and they turn almost black when ripe. I had never noticed the flowers, though. I was taken by the many small clumps on some of the specimens I saw. I like the way they droop and look like tiny bells. The flowers are about a 1/4 inch long.

Texas Persimmon Flowers