Plum Crazy Texas Weather

Larry and Sue Fleenor, formerly Houston-area residents, retired in Grapeland nine years ago. They have enjoyed the home they chose to retire in, and learning about its history, but not in their history on the property have they seen their fruit trees in full bloom so late in the year.

Plants and trees do not have the luxury of referring to a 12-month calendar as humans do, and therefore they tend to get confused from time to time. Occasionally, weather conditions can trigger the internal clocks of Texas vegetation, causing striking, but out-of-season blossoming.

The Fleenors noticed Oct. 27 that one of their plum trees had been fooled by Mother Nature into thinking Spring was in the air. The Fleenors have two plum trees, but only one fell for the trickery.

“This little plum tree is so confused,” said Sue Fleenor.

According to the Fleenors this particular plum tree produced fruit during the spring months, of which Mrs. Fleenor turned into plum jelly. Spring is the typical blossoming season for plum trees. Mrs. Fleenor also said, the tree in bloom also dropped its leaves long before the other plum tree.

In most cases, fruit trees that flower out-of-season are under stress of some sort. Extended periods of drought, followed by bands of rain, and cooler temperatures is the most common source of stress to vegetation in the area, according to Dr. William Johnson, a horticulturist with the Galveston County Office of Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas A&M System.

That chain of events is enough to spark confusion in plant life, however the chain reaction brought on by the weather also came at a time when the seasons are in transition in East Texas. Plants also determine when to bloom or when to shed their leaves by measuring the hours of darkness that occur in a 24-hour period.

The likelihood of fruit trees producing a healthy crop after prematurely blooming out of season, is slim. If the tree does produce fruit, it will likely be less than normal. According to Dr. Johnson, when a fruit tree puts forth a full flush of blooms the tree’s energy reserve is drawn down, thus a reduction in bloom will likely follow in the Spring.

Texas weather is known for its predictable unpredictability. Texans joke about the constantly changing weather with the statewide phrase, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. It will change.”

The heat that accompanies the Summer months is about the only predictable facet of Texas weather. In Texas snow may fall on Easter, or Christmas day could be hot enough to wear shorts.