Can You Actually Use a Plant in Texas to Predict the Rain?

We have all sorts of ways to predict the weather. As people get older they say they can tell if it is going to rain depending on how their knees feel. OK, I haven't reached that point yet.

We in Texas take it a step further and we know when it's going to turn to spring just by watching the mesquite. If and when they start to bloom then it's time to celebrate the warmer temperatures and the end of winter.

That is just how we do things in Texas. We like to use things around us to help us somewhat predict our weather. Let's be honest our weather is the hardest to predict. Kudos to our meteorologists for trying.

Even if we know that the wind is going to blow because it just seems to always do that here. There are other weather conditions and sometimes we can see them all in one day. It is just how we roll here in Texas.

So is there any other help out there to aid in the weather predictions? Especially when it comes to rain? There is a plant that may or may not be an old wives tale. The Texas Sage, which is also known as Leucophyllum frutescens, can help us know when it is about to rain.

When you see the blooms on the sage then the conditions are right and you could see it rain in your area.

They bloom due to several conditions including increased soil moisture, a change in air pressure, and increased humidity - all of which happen before it rains. So when they bloom you are more likely to see rain follow.

Give it a try. If you don't already have Texas Sage in your yard you may want to add it. Then all you have to do is keep an eye on the blooms. Does the theory test out? It just might.