# Lindheimer's silktassel (*Garrya lindheimeri*)

Lindheimer's silktassel is a lovely shrub with long, soft tassels that hang down. It grows in sunny places and is great for adding beauty to gardens and landscapes.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Mountain regions

![Lindheimer's silktassel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Baylor_Pass_Trail_-_Flickr_-_aspidoscelis_%285%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baylor_Pass_Trail_-_Flickr_-_aspidoscelis_%285%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Lindheimer's silktassel is an evergreen shrub with dark green, leathery leaves. Its most distinctive feature is the long, pendulous greenish-yellow catkins, often called "tassels," which hang conspicuously in late winter.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Garryales
- **Family:** Garryaceae
- **Genus:** Garrya

## Interesting facts

- It's named after Ferdinand Lindheimer, who first collected plants in Texas!
- Its long, dangling "tassels" are actually its male flowers!
- Male and female plants are separate, so you need both to make seeds!
- This shrub can grow over 15 feet tall, creating a green privacy screen!

## Special abilities

- **Winter Wonder:** Lindheimer's silktassel can bloom in the cold winter, providing a vital source of pollen when other plants are dormant.
- **Drought Defender:** Lindheimer's silktassel has tough, leathery leaves that help it survive long periods without much water.
- **Year-Round Green:** Lindheimer's silktassel is an evergreen, meaning it keeps its beautiful dark green leaves all year long.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 150-500 cm
- **Spread:** 150-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 5-15 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Winter to early spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse its leaves and twigs.
- **Shelter:** [Northern Cardinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-cardinal) (*Cardinalis cardinalis*) — Provides dense cover for nesting birds.
- **Eats:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees sometimes collect pollen from winter blooms.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Lindheimer's silktassel?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Lindheimer's silktassel?

150-500 cm

### How wide does Lindheimer's silktassel spread?

150-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on Lindheimer's silktassel?

5-15 cm

### When does Lindheimer's silktassel bloom?

Winter to early spring

### Is Lindheimer's silktassel edible?

No

### Is Lindheimer's silktassel toxic?

None

### What is Lindheimer's silktassel's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Lost Maples State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lost-maples-state-natural-area) — Texas, US · State Park
- [Friedrich Wilderness Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/friedrich-wilderness-park) — Texas, US · Nature Reserve

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Lindheimer's silktassel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lindheimers-silktassel)