The much maligned cedar. An opportunistic tree that clings to life in the most precarious rocky outcrops and limy dust. It chokes the oaks and, after the first freeze, chokes allergy sufferers too. Its peeling bark is the favorite nesting material of the endangered golden cheek warbler.
Ranchers hate it because it offers no nutrition to their cattle.
But quail, squirrels and raccoons love its little berries. Some people think it is an invasive foreigner, but it's a true native Texan. Since cedar prefers the high banks of rivers and streams, it is a heavy drinker itself. Some ranchers have reported the return of springs after chopping large numbers of cedar. Overgrazing and the suppression of fire gave way to greater thresholds for the cedar.