Tag Archives: native plants & wildlife

Our favorite articles about Northeast Texas native plants, trees and wildlife posted on TexasHomesteader.com

Soap Grows On Trees! Using Soapberries For A Natural Shampoo

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

The Western Soapberry Tree (or Sapindus saponaria ssp. drummondii) is native in North America. I make my own all natural zero-waste shampoo with the berries I harvest. It’s all I’ve used for nearly 10 years now.

Using Soapberries for a natural shampoo is easy on your hair and easy on your budget. It's true - soap really DOES grow on trees! #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading

Honey Locust Trees: Terrible Thorns, Yet Several Benefits

~ by Texas Homesteader ~ 

The Honey Locust tree has a pretty name, but it’s a MEAN TREE with long thorns! They grow everywhere on our NE Texas property. For the most part we consider them troublesome and invasive. But there are some really good features too.

Honey Locust trees are all over our NE Texas property. For the most part we consider them troublesome. But there are some good features #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading

Homestead Hack: Keeping Birds Off Railings

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

RancherMan & I love the native birds, albeit not all the bird poop they leave on the porch. All those birds were landing on (and POOPING on) our porch railings. What a mess!

Come see the oh-so-simple Homestead Hack solution we came up with!

Texas Homesteader Homestead Hack Tricks. #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading

Bois d’Arc (Osage Orange) Trees – Rot-Resistant Wood, Desirable Firewood & Pest-Deterrent Fruits

by Texas Homesteader ~

We have many Bois d’Arc trees (aka: Osage Orange trees) on our Northeast Texas property. I guess I’ve always just assumed people throughout the U.S. had them on their property too.

They grow wild here and we have several trees scattered throughout our property. 

Bois d'Arc tree, also known as Osage Orange, Iron Wood, etc.

Continue reading

Chiggers: Separating Fact & Fallacy Plus Crazy Remedies

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

The misery of itching from a chigger bite can last for weeks. I’ve sure heard some crazy remedies for the itching, most of them WRONG! (and some downright dangerous too). Read on to separate fact from fallacy with these tiny, itchy pests.

Chiggers - we've all dealt with them, right? Oh the misery of their itching which can last for weeks. I've heard some crazy cures, most of them WRONG! #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading

Destructive Pests: Trapping Wild Hogs

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

We have a wild hog problem here in NE Texas. Bad. So bad in fact that there’s no official ‘season’ for hunting them because they’re such an invasive, destructive nuisance.

Their sheer numbers are astonishing. They come through like a cloud, leaving nothing but tilled ground & deep holes behind them.

Terrible! 

So terrible that the game warden says you can hunt them at any time day or night, in any season. 

Wild hogs are destructive & plentiful. But they're just escaped domestic pigs - they're pork! See how we successfully trap them #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading