The Best Trees for Texas Landscapes

Picking the Right Trees Means Selecting for Purpose and Locale

Sep 22, 2009

Trees add beauty and value to a home. Shade trees can reduce power consumption in the summer. Landscapers should select trees that are suited to their area and purpose.

Not all trees that grow in Texas grow well in all parts of the state. When selecting a tree for Texas landscapes, the grower must consider the purpose the tree will serve as well as the varieties that are adapted to his or her area. Dr. William Welch, landscape horticulturist from Texas A&M recommends dividing the State into east, south, west, north or central Texas to select the best adapted trees.

Criteria for Choosing a Tree for a Texas Landscape

Trees are dominant landscape features around which a gardener may add shade tolerant ground covers and flowering plants. The first criterion in choosing a tree is size. Landscapers must consider how large the mature tree will be in selecting a variety and a planting location. It may be difficult to imagine that the small nursery tree will grow over 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide, but it will.

After size, a Texas landscaper should consider the multiple purposes the tree will serve in the landscape. Is it a shade tree to protect from the summer sun? If so, broad leaves, good spread, and a northwest location are key. If the tree is an accent piece, the landscaper may want spring flowers or fall color or both. Or, a constant color may be desirable which suggests the need for an evergreen or conifer rather than a deciduous tree.

Finally, the landscaper wants to consider the care requirements of the tree. Oak trees, for example, grow as native trees in much of Texas and they have few care requirements once they are established. A lovely but high-maintenance tree in many Texas landscapes is the Bald Cypress. It usually needs more water than basic lawn watering and if grown in alkaline soils that are present from central Texas to the west, it suffers from iron chlorosis, according to Neil Sperry, Texas horticulturist and author of the best selling Complete Guide to Texas Gardening.

Best Small Trees for Texas Landscapes

Small trees are usually less than 30 feet tall and are similar to large shrubs. These trees are adapted to most of Texas:

Best Medium and Large Trees for Texas Landscapes

Medium and large trees grow over 30 feet tall and often approach 50 to 60 feet in parts of Texas. The following trees are considered adapted to most of the State:

Trees complement Texas landscapes and the environment. Landscapers should select trees based on the mature characteristics of the tree—height, width, care, and color. Give landscape trees extra attention when they are young and then enjoy them for years.

Resources: An excellent book about landscaping with Texas plants and trees is: Native Texas Plants – Landscaping Region by Region by Sally and Andy Wasowski (1997, Lone Star Books).

The copyright of the article The Best Trees for Texas Landscapes in Trees is owned by Barbara Brown. Permission to republish The Best Trees for Texas Landscapes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.