Rewilding My Lot

The first Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) seedling that I planted in front of the house in 2024 did not survive. I was gifted a replacement that was planted in 2025.

This little tree started last winter just 7 inches tall. I protected it from the freezes with mulch against the trunk, preventive watering, and a bucket covering on the coldest nights.

I’ve been watching this baby tree for signs of recovery, and finally in mid-March I saw that. In several places, tiny leaf buds have appeared.

As I was examining this piece of ground daily, about a week before seeing the Mexican Buckeye buds and about three inches away, I noticed another short woody stem. At first I thought it might be another shoot from Mexican Buckeye roots, but it didn’t look quite right for that.

In the end I decided to dig it up and pot it. Whatever it turned out to be, three inches from another tree that I want is not a good location. So this would give me a chance to remove it before the roots get too extensive, identify it, and then decide what to do with it.

The ground was nice and moist after recent rains, so the seedling was extracted without too much disruption. It was so young that its seed was still attached. I thought at first that it might be the acorn of a live oak tree (there are nearby oaks). However, eventually I concluded that it was actually a Texas Mountain Laurel, growing from seed that travelled as a passenger in the Mexican Buckeye seedling pot.

I don’t have room for another Texas Mountain Laurel here, but the donor of my Mexican Buckeye seedling does, and so it has been returned to its original location!