6a)
During the spring, the blue flowers of Wright skullcap (Scutellaria wrightii)
and cedar sage (Salvia roemeriana) are particularly conspicuous in this
area.
7) As you walk out onto the drier exposed slope, look
to the right to see a magnificent stand of sotol. Although the motel owners
call this the Sotol Garden, all these plants were found growing here naturally.
7a) To the left of the trail you will notice, during the spring, a large number of wildflowers with four bright lemon yellow petals. This is Engelmann's bladderpod (Lesquerella engelmannii). Bladderpodds get their name from the tiny round fruitpods that will pop when squeezed between the fingers. This particular bladderpod is somewhat rare in Texas.
8) The trail now follows and old truck road, a remnant of the property's ranching history. As you walk up the slope, look at the ground at your feet. Many of the "stones" in the roadbed are actually fossil oysters, a remnant of the property's history-about 200 million years ago- as the bed of a shallow sea.
9)
A few feet to the right is Texas redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis),
which has unmistakable round to somewhat heart-shaped leaves. This smaller
tree is related to peas and beans. In early spring its numerous pink pea-flowers
stand out among the foliage of various trees, and during much of the summer
you might also be able to spot its brown pea-pods.