This series is dedicated to educating our geofriends about some of the interesting trees and vines that can be seen along this newest section of the Spring Creek Greenway (SCG) trail. When complete, the Spring Creek Greenway will encompass 12,000 acres and almost 40 linear miles, from Highway 59 at the San Jacinto River to Spring Creek Park west of Tomball. While Phase III of the trail is not officially open yet, the construction is complete, and it’s time to get these posted! This section of trail begins at Pundt Park and extends over 2.5 miles to Dennis Johnston Park on Riley Fuzzel Road; and this now brings the completed SCG trail length to almost 12 miles, from Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center in Humble all the way to Dennis Johnston Park! Please note that SCG trail hours are dawn to dusk, and replace all containers as you found them.
Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) is a common vine in the forest, and can be identified by its soft, whitish outer bark. It produces trumpet-shaped flowers that are a wonderful hummingbird attractant; but care should be used in planting this vine, as it also spreads rapidly! These vines also are covered with rings of holes along the vine that are caused by the Yellowbellied Sapsucker, a type of woodpecker. This bird makes the rows of holes and then flies away, leaving the damaged spots to leak sweet-sticky sap. After a time, the bird returns to eat the sap AND the insects that have become mired in this glue…getting their ‘sweets and meats’ at the same time!