Did You Know?

1. In 1917, 1,085 buildings were erected to serve as a World War I training facility called Camp Logan on the site of Memorial Park and the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. The Arboretum’s land was annexed by the city in 1927 as a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War I.
2. The mockingbird can mimic the songs of 39 other species and has a range of 50 call notes. It can also imitate other sounds, such as a piano or squeaky hinges, so perfectly that even electronic machines are fooled! The Houston Arboretum has three observation decks to give visitors a glimpse of the huge variety of Texas birds.
3. How much wood can a woodpecker peck? The woodpecker is able to move at 20 pecks a second! After they drill their holes, woodpeckers use their extraordinarily long tongues to collect food. The Arboretum contains six species of woodpecker including the downy woodpecker, the red-bellied woodpecker, and the pileated woodpecker.
4. Some turtles can breathe through their butts. Aquatic softshell turtles absorb oxygen while underwater through an internal chamber called a cloaca that opens at the base of their tails. Red-eared sliders are commonly seen near the Arboretum’s ponds.
5. The snake’s tongue is constantly in motion gathering samples of the snake’s surroundings. Inside the snake’s mouth, a small sensory organ called the Jacobson’s organ collects these particles and analyzes them, giving the snake accurate information about its environment. The Arboretum is home to a variety of snakes including copperheads, coral snakes, ribbon snakes, and broad-banded water snakes.
6. The fox squirrel keeps cool by sweating through its paws. During summer months, look closely, and you might see small damp tracks on a dry surface. Both the fox squirrel and its close relative, the gray squirrel, reside in the Houston Arboretum.
7. The front and back foot tracks of a domestic dog are almost identical. In contrast, the front foot of a coyote is slightly larger than the back, and the shape of the pad is different. The front pad is shaped like an arrowhead, and the back pad is shaped like a pair of lips. Check out the new display in the Nature Center for an up-close look at coyotes.
8. Armadillo clones? The nine-banded armadillo has identical quadruplets each time it gives birth. Armadillos are also the only mammals that have a shell. The Houston Arboretum is a perfect habitat for these heat-loving Texas icons.
9. The opossum is the only marsupial found in North America. When opossums are attacked, they will "play possum," pretending that they are dead; they remain still, do not blink, and their tongue hangs out. This act often makes the attacker lose interest in the opossum.
10. Dragonflies reach speeds of 30 mph. Dragonflies and damselflies have a unique flying technique. While butterflies and other flying insects beat their wings in unison, dragonflies and damselflies beat their wings in alternating strokes which allows them the distinctive ability to hover in one spot. Dragonflies and damselflies can be seen near bodies of water and hunting over the meadow in the Houston Arboretum.
11. Butterflies have sensory hairs on their front legs that allow them to taste the sugar in nectar. Females have more of these receptors than males because they need them to identify appropriate host plants. The receptors are similar to the ones found in the human nose and tongue. The butterfly also uses its antennae and eyes to gather information about its environment. Butterflies have the broadest visual spectrum of any known animal; their compound eyes allow them to see ultraviolet rays that human eyes cannot detect. The Houston Arboretum is a prime location for butterfly watching.
12. A snail can sleep for three years. This hibernation occurs during dry periods so that the snail can maintain the moisture within its shell. Snails are an important part of the Arboretum’s pond ecosystems.
13. Poison ivy is a member of the Sumac family, which also includes the mangos, cashews, and pistachios. Poison ivy produces berries vital to the diets of birds and mammals in the Houston Arboretum.
14. The rattlesnake master (also called button snakeroot) was named by the Native Americans and early settlers who reportedly used poultices from the root for treatment of snakebites. The increasingly rare prairie plant blooms in the Arboretum meadow in late June and July.
15. The Texas paintbrush gets its name from its resemblance to a ragged brush dipped in bright paint. The Arboretum’s meadow habitat is a great place to spot these gorgeous native wildflowers.
16. The common broomweed gets its name from early settlers who gathered the plant and tied them to sticks to use as brooms. They are toxic to humans and livestock and can cause inflammation of the eyes.
17. The Texas vervain has important medicinal properties and was once considered as a powerful charm against witchcraft.
18. Native Americans used the yaupon holly tree in purification rituals. An infusion, called “black drink” by some tribes, contains caffeine and other compounds and can induce vomiting.
19. Some oak trees do not produce acorns until they are about 50 years old. The Houston Arboretum is home to twelve species of oaks including Southern Red Oak and the Post Oak.
20. “Lobolly” began as a seamen’s slang term for a watery gruel or porridge. The definition was then expanded to describe mud holes, and, later, to the trees growing in these low, wet areas. The Lobolly pine is one of the most common pine trees in the East Texas area and grows to a height of over 100 feet. The Houston Arboretum is on the western border of the coniferous region of Texas.